


Tempting (Mis)Fortune

by Annyeonging



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 15:21:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 219,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annyeonging/pseuds/Annyeonging
Summary: One little moment of overconfidence in a friendly game of Monopoly manages to turn a bad thing into something beautiful.
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Son Seungwan | Wendy, Kang Seulgi/Park Sooyoung | Joy
Comments: 62
Kudos: 236





	1. I

The clanking of dishes and running water eased Joy out of her slumber one chilly winter morning. Struggling to see, she tried to make out the little red numbers displayed on the screen of her alarm clock; 10:35. With a loud and lethargic yawn, she stretched her lengthy body, letting out a little whine in the process. It felt nice to sleep in for once.

She hissed at the sudden chill of her bare feet meeting the floor. Quickly, she slid into her house slippers, shivering while rubbing her blanket-warmed arms. She eventually padded her way into the kitchen, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light in the room. Wendy was scrolling through her phone at the kitchen table while Irene took station at the sink, scrubbing every dish to satisfy her standards of cleanliness. 

"Morning." Joy yawned, taking a seat beside Wendy. She received a few greetings in return, both on varying levels of energy, before she slumped over the cold wooden tabletop in an effort to wake herself up. 

"Welp, I've gotta go." Wendy chirped, nearly leaping out of her seat.

"Hot date?" The eye roll Wendy gave made Joy snort.

"No, my parents are visiting from Canada." The blonde replied while pulling on her coat. "I told them I'd meet them for brunch."

"Brunch?" Joy chuckled. "Sometimes I forget how much of a little rich girl you are." Wendy shot the younger a glare at the statement, wrapping a scarf around her neck.

"Say hello to them for me!" Irene called out before Wendy made her exit.

"Will do!" With that, the door slammed behind her and the dorm was left in near silence.

Joy mindlessly rapped her nails on the table, already bored out of her mind. She had a sort of love-hate relationship with days off. While she loved getting a day to relax and recover from a hectic schedule, she never knew what to do with all of her spare time. Her eyes wandered over to the sink - or more specifically, her unnie's side profile. She had to admit, she had a nice figure, though she was no match for 'The Sexy Dynamite.' Her gaze trailed down from the woman's back to her butt, admiring the shape of it before she gave her head a shake. 

What's wrong with you? Pervert. You've never taken an interest in her before, unless...

Before she could finish her thought, Irene made her way around the kitchen with a few dry plates in her arms. Joy didn't give it a second thought. Instead, she rested her head on her hand thinking about what she should do with her day until an alluring fragrance graced her lungs. Her head rose with a start, taking in the intoxicating scent of roses and warm vanilla. All of her attention immediately jerked to the woman busy storing her freshly cleaned dishes away in the cupboards. 

"Uh, unnie?" The older raven spun her head to face her which only made the situation worse. Joy not-so-subtly covered her nose with the collar of her shirt before speaking. "You might wanna pop a few suppressants." A coral pink color dusted Irene's cheeks as she came to the same realization Joy had. 

"Sorry. I guess I lost track." Joy watched with fascination as Irene reached up into the cabinet above the sink to retrieve their makeshift first aid kit. Inside was a little bottle of prescription pills. Two tablets were swallowed and chased with a swig of water before the bottle was nested back in the basket to be placed in its original location once more. Curious, Joy posed a few questions.

"What does it feel like?" She inquired. "Being in heat?" Caught off guard and a little embarrassed by the question, Irene made an effort to dodge it altogether.

"I just took suppressants so there's no need to worry."

"That's not what I meant." Irene gulped at the alpha's somewhat stern voice. No longer seeing a point in avoiding it, the omega relented.

"As the name suggests, it feels warm." She replied, returning to her work with her back facing Joy. "If it goes on for too long, it starts to hurt. Your mind goes all hazy and there's an ache in your..."

Feeling left on a cliff hanger, Joy pressed for a continuation of the statement. "In your...?"

"You know, your..." Irene turned and made a motion over her lower stomach. "...nether regions." Joy found a bit of humor in Irene's prudishness. Then again, she was raised in Daegu - the most conservative city in South Korea. The alpha found it quite ironic how a region known for its rich omega population failed to celebrate or educate people on such an important process. The only 'celebrating' of omegas Daegu did was grooming them into becoming 'ideal mates' before selling them off to an alpha of higher status just to 'strengthen the family name.'

Despite being known as the 'crowned jewels of society,' omegas were treated like the exact opposite. Instead, they were used as bargaining chips - sold off to the highest bidder to be faithful and fruitful for their selected mate until death do them part. Joy was thankful her unnie didn't fall subject to that, at least not in Seoul. She had met the Baes before and they loved both of their daughters dearly. However, they maintained their conservative roots with pride and since Irene's younger sister presented as a beta, the honor of the family name fell squarely on Irene's shoulders. To not comply with tradition would be a disgrace to the family and would land Irene with the title of a 'broken omega.' It didn't help that the woman's age was getting up there. Finding a mate wasn't the issue in that regard. After all, she did have the face of an angel. The problem arose when it came to starting a family of her own. Spotting an omega without a pup was about as rare as spotting a three-headed dog. She wondered if Irene had any underlying interest in children at all since she never once spoke up on the subject. Perhaps she was indifferent, or maybe she truly did not intend on becoming a mother in the future. Such a scenario would burden Irene with an even more disgraceful title; 'defective omega.'

Drifting back down from her dream realm, Joy figured she'd take some of the embarrassment off of Irene's shoulders and carry it instead.

"Well, when alphas go into rut, we just wanna hump everything." Joy chuckled though Irene was much less enthused. The younger expected Irene to go off on some tangent about the sanctity of sex, but instead she was met with somewhat fearful eyes. Realizing the negative affect her words had on the older, Joy immediately tried to backpedal. "Hey, I was just kidding! We aren't all savages, you know."

"R-right." Irene breathed, her gaze seeming to drift off into the atmosphere. She placed her wet dish rag next to the sink, Joy watching with concern as she walked her way out of any further conversation, making a sauntering beeline for her room - still with that far away look in her eye. "I think I need a break. The water's making my hands prune." Guilt chewed a gaping hole through Joy's heart, but she said nothing to keep the girl from walking away. It was clear to see that Irene had her own views on the alpha species; experiences Joy and Seulgi - perhaps even Wendy and Yeri - could never truly understand. Alphas were everything omegas were not; large, dominant, jealous, aloof, impatient, sexually driven, spontaneous, proud, sometimes demanding or aggressive, yet omegas and alphas were expected to prioritize one another when it came to courtship and selecting a mate. Joy's lovely description didn't do them any more favors.

With a sigh of self-disappointment, Joy got up to finish hand-drying the dishes Irene left on the drying rack beside the sink. It was the least she could do for making all of alpha kind sound like heartless sex addicts. The slapping sound of bare feet against the laminate floor boards followed by a dramatic yawn let Joy know the maknae was awake. 

"Yo." Yeri greeted, reaching into the cupboard for her favorite cereal box.

"Hey."

"Down for some monopoly tonight?" Yeri inquired while pouring some milk into the bowl. "We haven't had a game night in a while."

"Ask Joohyunnie."

"Why? Is Seulgi unnie not here?"

"Not right now." Joy murmured, placing the last of the dishes in its proper place. "I don't think she'll care either way."

"Fair point." The maknae managed through her munching. "Hey, unnie's heat isn't due for another week, right? I told Lip I'd check the calender but it isn't marked."

"She started this morning but she's on her suppressants so the coast is clear." Yeri nodded, thumbs typing out a message for Kim Lip giving her the okay to stop by for a visit at some point. 

"I feel bad that unnie has to pop pills in the dorms now." The beta sighed while plopping her phone back down on the table to resume eating. "It's gotta suck to feel like trash when you're supposed to be feeling good." Joy's eyes flickered for a moment, taking in the maknae's words.

"I never really thought about it before."

"Eh well, I guess it's for the best anyway although I think it'd be fun to watch you and Seulgi go coo coo for Coco Puffs." Yeri chuckled.

"I can control myself, thank you very much!" Joy snapped, taking offense to the younger's previous comment.

"Right. And I'm the Queen of the Nile."

"What does any of this matter to you anyway? You're a beta!"

"Your reactions are my life source. Gotta get my jabs in somehow." Yeri snorted into her milk resulting in an eye-roll from Joy.

The latter took it upon herself to mark the start of Irene's heat on the giant dry erase calender attached to the refrigerator for their reference. Yeri quietly watched her do so over the rim of her bowl, her eyes falling on March 29 - a good month and a half away, though still important nonetheless. "I can't believe unnie's turning thirty soon." She said, almost in shock. For a moment, Joy quietly gazed at the first three months of the year - her eyes jumping from highlighted event to highlighted event; Seulgi's birthday, Wendy's birthday, all the way down to Irene's. Her thoughts ran back to the fear and discomfort swimming in the omega's eyes after the comment she made earlier.

"I wonder if she's lonely." Joy murmured, mostly to herself, though Yeri could make out what she was saying rather easily. However, instead of inserting some witty remark, she quietly chewed on her cereal with a thoughtful expression.

The beginning of a new year's flurry peeked through the living room window - probably curious about the scene occurring at such a late hour within Red Velvet's toasty dormitory. A single light illuminated the kitchen table making the situation appear more like an interrogation than a friendly game of Monopoly. As usual, things got too intense too quickly for Wendy while Yeri was simply too bad at games to avoid going nearly bankrupt within the span of a few turns. Now they could only watch as the other three - mainly Irene and Joy - got into a heated debate over how much Joy should pay for landing on a green property with a hotel.

"That's bullshit and you know it!"

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." Irene said with a smirk as she counted up her wad of cash. The young alpha groaned, plopping down and pouting in her seat as Seulgi calmly reached for the dice. The little white cubes bounced around in her hand for a moment before being cast out to dance across the board. The fates were gracious enough to show a number that granted her safe passage through Joy's neighborhood of death for the nth time that night.

"How have you managed to avoid Boardwalk this whole game!?" Joy shouted in annoyance as Seulgi placed the little dog safely on her own property. With spirits as light as feathers, Seulgi shrugged while flashing a tight-lipped version of her signature smile. 

"Guess I just got lucky." 

Irene rolled a six and picked up the iron, moving to free parking and taking the whole pot. "But apparently not as lucky as unnie!" Seulgi added with wide eyes as Irene organized her winnings in an orderly fashion. Joy snatched the dice, jostling them with a little more gusto out of sheer aggravation. However, her race car unfortunately found itself parked in the 'Go to Jail' space.

"Hah! Get fucked!" Yeri chided, fanning herself with the measely twenty dollars keeping her alive.

"Watch it or you'll be seeing that shoe in an X-ray!" Joy barked in retaliation, pointing at the little metal token on the board.

This seemingly endless cycle continued several hours longer before Joy swiftly started to grow agitated. In all honesty, the only reason she managed to stay in it this long was to try her luck at finally bumping Irene off of her competitive high horse. Granted, this was merely a way for Irene to draw attention away from her being and towards her array of talents elsewhere which in and of itself was fair enough. Irene just wanted genuine praise, though she would refuse to admit it. Regardless, it wasn't her competitive nature that put a sour taste in Joy's mouth - not that she was a saint herself. The raven just wanted to wipe that snarky expression off of the omega's pretty little face for once.

Yeri was barely hanging on off of Irene's charity and Wendy wasn't doing so hot herself. Meanwhile, Seulgi seemed to have gained a good stroke of luck that night, but Joy didn't trust her newly acquired abilities against the clever rabbit seated across the table from her. They needed a plan.

Feeling a tad bit vindictive, Joy spat out the first thing that came to mind.

"What do you ladies say we up the ante a bit?" Everyone gave her a suspicious glance, but appeared to be intrigued none the less. "If all four of us can beat Joohyun unnie, let us show you a good time. Just for a week."

The table went completely quiet.

"Sooyoung-ah..." Wendy whispered as a hint that Joy had maybe gone too far.

Irene thought for a moment. While the stakes had certainly lit a fire under her, she wasn't at all concerned about the possibility of losing. She figured she'd entertain the wager for the sake of intrigue and walk away the victor as usual. After a few short moments of contemplation, Irene piped up.

"Fine. On one condition; no knots."

"Fair enough."

"And if I win?" Joy thought for a moment, talking it over with Seulgi - though mainly just herself - before coming to an agreement. 

"If you win, you can come off your suppressants for good." Irene cleared her throat recieving a rather dramatic eye-roll. "And we'll do all of your chores for a week."

"A month."

"Done." Irene smiled wickedly.

"I'm game." Yeri piped in, studying her cards and (lack of) funds with a bit more focus.

Wendy seemed unsure, looking to her same-age friend for an answer worth trusting. "Seulgi?" The blushing and bewildered bear looked between her two roommates with a look of uncertainty. She was almost positive the four of them couldn't defeat Irene so she paid little mind to Joy's end of the bargain. She did, however, want to allow Irene her freedom from those awful suppressants which is what drove her to comply in the end.

"I-I guess..."

"Great." Joy said with a sly smile, tugging Seulgi's chair closer to her end of the table. "Between my poor money management skills and your stroke of good luck, I'd say we've still got a shot." With a spiteful snort, Irene arranged her colorful stacks of money in preparation for her next trip around the board.

"There's no way..." Irene whispered, realizing she had gone completely bankrupt. All of her properties had been cleared and mortgaged meaning she had lost the game and by association, had lost the bet as well. Joy rejoiced in her victory, cheering and high-fiving the others - all of which were left completely stunned..

"Well well well." Joy said in a mocking tone. "Looks like we're gonna be pretty cozy for a while." Irene groaned in defeat, resting her head in her arms. She instantly regretted being so sure of herself. 

"Are you sure you want to do this, unnie?" The girl with platinum locks inquired. "I mean, this isn't something to be taken lightly."

"A bet is a bet and I lost fair and square." Irene sighed while massaging her temples. "When do we start?"

"Next week - Sunday." Joy murmured while Seulgi gave her leader a look of sympathy.

As the group proceeded to clean up the carnage, Seulgi was visibly disturbed by the events of the night. She felt like they had somehow taken advantage of Irene despite having won without any form of cheating. Still, she didn't want to make the older woman do anything she was uncomfortable with all for the sake of keeping up her end of some stupid bet. It was no secret that Irene was among the most asexual of the bunch - or at the very least, the most intimately reserved. Seulgi just wanted to protect her friend from the sultry side of Park Sooyoung - the part of her that can be overly passionate or mischievous at times. Had she agreed to Joy's proposal just to spare her pride or was there a little ember of promiscuity buried somewhere deep below the surface of her ice queen exterior?

Elegant, monolid eyes slowly migrated to her fellow alpha quietly placing all of the tiny green houses back into their designated baggie. 

"Sooyoung-ah?" The taller girl's brows lifted ever so slightly at the hollow whisper. "Are you sure about this?" Sooyoung looked at the omega in question who was busy wiping down the countertops, standing back to her full height. 

"I didn't set this up just to mess with her." Joy calmly and gently assured her worried unnie. "I may be a tease, but I'm not cruel. I just want to make her feel good - maybe lessen her fear of alphas a little. Besides, I really do think she wants this. I mean, why else would she agree to it in the first place?" That same look of uncertainty from before continued to adorn Seulgi's features which warmed the younger's heart. She responded accordingly, leaning forward to get a better view of Seulgi's face. "I'll be careful, okay? I promise." With a heavy exhale, Seulgi placed her faith in the younger's word.

"Okay."


	2. II

Irene had prepared herself for the day they - namely Sooyoung - would inevitably come for her.

Being the inwardly curious woman she is, a part of her was eagerly anticipating what was to come. She was no rookie to the act, though she was no veteran either. She had experimented a little in high school during her 'rebellious faze' just before doing her time as a trainee only to realize that sex wasn't all it was cracked up to be - at least not for her. Based on her own minimal experience, she found the act to be quite boring or even scary at times; the alpha does what they need to do and that's that - the end. Sure, it felt nice for a while, but there were probably a million things she would rather be doing than laying on her back with a sweaty body looming over her. How could doing the deed with female alphas be much different anyway?

I'll just get it over with and we'll never have to speak of it again.

She was sitting on her bed with a bowl of grapes in her lap when the day of their little marathon began. She neglected to cover a large yawn in favor of reaching up to tie her tresses in a sloppy excuse of a bun that sat perched on top of her head like a bad thought. In the comfort of her own room, she tilted her head back and successfully lobbed a few of the red fruits into her mouth before tilting it forward once more to watch whatever skincare commercial was playing on TV. A brief and mildly annoying whistle made her spare a glance to find its source - Joy - posing in the doorway with her lower lip snared in a sly grin.

"Do you know what day it is?" The younger cooed while drumming her fingers on the doorframe. Opting to play along, Joohyun popped a few more grapes in her mouth.

"January twenty-sixth." Joy's lips quirked up in a smirk as she moved to stand beside the couch. Irene could feel her face and ears warm up as her dongsaeng came closer. The warm sensation of breath against her sensitive left ear made her gasp a little at which the alpha chuckled.

"Try again."

"Th-the Sabbath?" The statement was backed with a nervous swallow.

"Oh, anything but." Irene watched a soft but aimless hand glide its way up her pasty thigh, catching on the edge of her sleep shorts. "I came to give you a wakeup call, but I think it's better we talk about this some more. I want to know where you're at in all of this." The commercials serving as nothing more than background noise were swiftly choked by Irene's finger resting on the remote's power button.

The older did anything in her power to dodge the younger's smoldering eyes, from smoothing out her shirt to fidgeting with the remote in her lap. "I'm okay with it." She murmured passively, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear all the while never once looking up from the object in her hands. Her movements ceased when a hand that was not her own took the distraction away leaving her no choice but to focus on the conversation at hand though she still couldn't bring herself to look up.

"Look at me, unnie." When her request wasn't met, Joy took it upon herself to lift her chin herself much to Irene's initial surprise. A sweet little smile put the older a bit more at ease, though nothing could hide the red hue dusting her cheeks and ears. It wasn't often the leader acted so shyly without cameras or people around so naturally, the younger took her awkward mannerisms as a sign of resistance. "Let's just forget about the bet, okay?" Irene's eyes widened a bit, watching as she got to her feet and showed herself out.

"I want to, though." The call was meek, but the determination wasn't lost by the lack of volume. Joy stopped midway between the bed and the door, peering over her shoulder and smiling as Irene slowly reacted to her own words' implications. The tiny woman groaned out of embarrassment and curled into a ball, falling against her mattress shoulder first with her face hidden in her hands. Joy's chuckle only made her ears burn more.

"Oh? So, you were trying to lose, eh?"

"No! You won fair and square!" Irene protested, hardly noticing the bed sinking beside her under Joy's weight.

"You know," The younger began, patting her unnie's hip in false reassurance, watching her thighs clamp together in response to her playful rasp. "If you were that horny, you could've just said so."

"Park Sooyoung!" Said girl laughed through a sudden onslaught of tiny punches and slaps. Having had enough, the younger's hands grabbed Irene's flailing wrists to keep them at bay. Bunny eyes fell to where their hands were connected and something in the air seemed to change. Two sets of brown orbs met for a moment while Irene swallowed the lump forming in her throat, ears warm and red.

"I might have a thing for struggling."

"You mean..." The omega's eyes widened as Joy quickly pinned her to the couch by her wrists so that she was hovering over the smaller girl. "Like this?" The older moaned, wriggling about like a worm on a hot rock. "I take it you're a bottom then."

As Irene was about to protest on behalf of her pride, a pair of soft lips crashed against her own making her swoon. The sensation of pillowy lips on hers sent a tingle straight down to her nether regions. Pink tongues soon get acquainted while Joy adjusted her position so she was properly straddling Irene with a thigh pressed between her legs. Slender fingers got lost in a forest of dark tresses, working Irene's hair out of the messy bun it was trapped in.

It wasn't long before a noticeable wet stripe appeared on the pale skin of Joy's thigh though she didn't care in the slightest. Instead, she pressed it harder into her unnie's heat giving her more surface to grind on. The contact elicited a soft moan that made its owner blush. The larger woman smiled into the kiss, proud to have garnered such a reaction from the omega underneath her, humming her own response as they took all the time they needed to warm up. When the duo separated to catch their breath, the room fell into a symphony of pants and turning gears.

"Wow." Joy chuckled breathily, receiving one in return. "Quick question; do suppressants affect your sex drive?"

Irene thought up a reply, gulping for air. "Yes." She panted. "But not my sensitivity."

"Interesting." Joy ducked her head into the nape of Irene's neck, planting a few shy kisses there while enjoying the lovely scent she had been greeted with a few days prior. However, the action was very short lived as she made a move to sit up. "Honestly, I'm not really sure how to...you know...start things off."

"This was your idea." Irene chuckled.

"I know." Joy replied, releasing a little chuckle of her own. "I guess I'm just nervous. I've never really done anything like this with someone like you before."

A questioning brow quirked up at the comment. "Someone like me?"

"Yeah. Someone like a friend." Joy clarified. "It's kind of scary. I don't want to mess this up or do something you don't like." Irene's elegant features were graced with a hint of concern.

"You seemed to be doing just fine a minute ago."

"Kissing is one thing, but sex? I can put up a good front, unnie, but I'm honestly really nervous right now." Working up enough courage to move things along, Irene sat up to pull her own shirt over her head, banishing it to the floor along with her shorts. Settling back against the bed, Irene was soon puzzled by the way her partner was eyeing her bosom, making a move to cover herself.

"Sooyoung-ah?" Seemingly snapped out of her little trance, Joy smiled somewhat bashfully at her unnie.

"Sorry. You're just so...perfect." Irene smiled while reaching for the hem of Joy's clothing. They were soon discarded as well leaving both women as naked as the day they were born - Joy's briefs being the only exception.

"You're not so bad yourself." Irene teased, pulling Joy down for another kiss. As the kiss became more and more heated, Joy reminded herself of what she had been planning on easing the other in with before she was too invested to back out. She wanted to focus on Irene's pleasure first to establish a sense of sexual trust before moving on to the main course.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to try with you first." Irene watched as Joy got up and left the room, returning with a free-standing mirror and a rattling box. "I'm sort of a Katoptronophiliac." She confessed somewhat shyly. "You don't mind, do you?" A shake of the head put Joy's worries at ease. "Um, could you...?" Understanding her question's implications, Irene got off of the bed and moved to sit where Joy wanted her - on the floor directly in front of the mirror - while Joy settled in behind her.

She could feel the young woman's warm body and chest pressed into her back. The touch of gentle hands gently squeezing her breasts elicited a low moan from the petite brunette. She let her weary head fall back against Joy's collar bone, happily allowing herself to be groped and played with as the young alpha pleased. She got a certain kick out of watching her malleable mounds move under Joy's ministrations through the mirror. It was nice.

"I see you're a boob girl." Joy giggled, confirming Irene's suspicions.

Having had enough of that, a sudden shift behind her peaked Irene's curiosity once more. She craned her neck and watched Joy reach for the mystery box. Inside was an array of sex toys - mainly vibrators and butt plugs in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.

"How do you feel about these?" Joy inquired; a bit too shy to call the toys be their respective names.

"Vibrators are good." Irene replied with a blush, eyeing the plugs. "I've never really tried those before."

"It's okay if you don't want to. I'm just trying to gage what you like and don't like."

"I never said I wasn't willing to try..." Visibly taken aback by her response, Joy gazed at her partner with a discerning eye.

"Are you sure, unnie? I don't want you to feel pressured."

"I'm sure."

Satisfied with that answer, Joy rooted around for the tamest plug in her possession and reached for some anal lubricant then set both off to the side for the time being. For a moment there was silence before a low hum caught Irene's ear. The sound was familiar and garnered an immediate reaction, Irene's entrance feeling much warmer than before.

Irene sighed as an egg-shaped vibrator trailed its way across her skin from her shoulder down to her breasts - lingering there to stimulate her hardened nipples. Joy's lips graced the slope of Irene's neck, sucking and biting to leave a few small marks in their wake. The pale hand holding the egg continued its long journey down flawless planes of ivory skin, teasing and tickling Irene's stomach making her giggle. The closer the vibrations got to where Irene needed them, the slower the hand moved.

Unable to stand the wait any longer, Irene's own hand snaked its way down to cup her sex. The action released an airy little sigh of satisfaction. Joy seemed a bit shocked by the sudden act of initiative but quickly regained her composure, nibbling on the space between Irene's shoulder and neck as her hand soon bumped up against Irene's.

"Tell me where you want it."

"My clit." She breathed, eyelids falling closed under the sensation, but Joy was having none of it.

"Keep your eyes opened." Half lidded eyes did as they were told, opening to reveal Irene's blown out pupils, lush lips parted so soft, panting breaths could pass through. There was a certain type of hunger there that Joy thought she would never see from her unnie - especially not directed towards her. She looked an absolute wreck in the sexiest way. The shy side of Irene was buried for the time being beneath dunes of lust and arousal. She just gazed at Joy through the reflective surface of the mirror - longing to be touched.

That was all the encouragement Joy needed to press the bulb gently against Irene's clit.

The omega's little body tensed and cried out in surprise as the vibrations suddenly shot up to its maximum setting. Her head fell back with a high-pitched moan - eyes closed, jaw slack. Joy frequently adjusted the level of vibrations, going from quick to slow, steady to sporadic. Irene's legs began to tremor uncontrollably under the stimulation to her most sensitive erogenous zone. Just as she was nearing release, Joy suddenly retracted her hand - an action Irene didn't hesitate to whine her objections to. However, she was pleased to find a vibrating dildo and anal plug in Joy's free hand.

"This is the smallest I have." Joy stated, showing Irene the toy. "If it gets to be too much or you just don't like it, let me know." Irene nodded. She promised herself at the beginning of the week that she would go into this open-minded and while anal play may not pique her interest, it certainly did Joy's. Not wanting to disappoint the alpha or her own sense of curiosity, she figured it was worth a try.

With plenty of lube and a little determination, the plug was perfectly in place. Granted, it wasn't the most comfortable feeling in the world, but it certainly wasn't as painful as she had expected. Though it had taken some getting used to, the feeling proved to be somewhat pleasant.

"How are you feeling?" Joy inquired, meeting Irene's eyes in the mirror.

"Good." Content with that answer, Joy quietly applied a sheen of lube to the silicone vibrator in her hand for good measure, lining it up with Irene's slick entrance. Before Irene could even begin to prepare herself, the length of the dildo was sheathed inside of her. Her back arched slightly under the initial shock of it before she fell into a fit of gasping moans. She had never felt so full. The vibrator glided in and out of her for a few pumps, the subtle ridges of the toy dragging against her sensitive walls in such a way that made her vision blur.

"Think you can you handle the low setting?" Irene nodded desperately, crying out when the vibrations suddenly began. Joy watched in amazement as the omega's composure broke down into small fragments of absolute rapture. She could feel Irene hump her hand in desperate pursuit of more pleasure, her body absolutely trembling with delight. "Horny little bunny. You've been so worked up, haven't you?" Irene cooed, her head lolling across Joy's collar bone. Joy observed her reactions in the mirror, fascinated by the tiny woman's anatomy. She'd had sex with betas before, but never an omega. She was pleased to find her hand was pretty much coated in slick, Irene's body reacting to her pleasure in hyper drive. "You look so pretty like this." She rasped into Irene's ear, never once breaking eye contact. The woman shivered, another rough grunt of approval leaving the woman's agape mouth - both of which only furthered the taller raven's own arousal. "Your ears are sensitive, aren't they?" Unable to form a coherent thought, Irene could only nod and whimper.

It wasn't long before Irene reached her first peak - breathless moans escaping her lips at random. Joy gasped when a rush of warm liquid trickled onto her hand. Warm, brown eyes peered at Irene through the surface of the mirror. She felt like she had sailed into uncharted waters, watching how Irene's body reacted to each new wave of pleasure. Not wanting to wear her out too soon, Joy let her unnie ride out her high before quickly ceasing all stimulation. Heavy breaths and post-orgasmic whines filtered into the air boosting Joy's ego just a bit.

"How was that?"

An airy, quivering moan was all Irene could manage. With a boastful smirk, Joy took the liberty of wiping a bit of drool away from Irene's chin. All of the cognitive functions in the woman's mind had seemingly shut down for the time being - eyes drooping, chest heaving, lips parted with a few soft mewls still leaking through.

"You came hard, unnie." Joy teased, pressing a chaste kiss to the bunny's temple. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Never better." Came a dreamy sigh that made Joy chuckle.

"Do you think you can go another round?"

Irene nodded eagerly. "Just give me a minute."

"Let me hop up for a second." Joy said, tapping Irene's shimmering shoulder gently. Irene took her weight off of Joy's front so she could stand. The younger slid out of her underwear until they pooled at her ankles, kicking them off to the side. Irene watched out of curiosity as Joy reached into her magic toy box to retrieve something, slipping it on with her back still turned. When she finally turned around, something immediately caught Irene's eye.

"What's that?"

"This?" Joy asked, gesturing towards the donut-shaped ring around the base of her generously lengthy and condom-covered cock. "It's a bumper. It keeps me from going in too deep, unless you have some sort of bruised cervix kink."

"Hard pass."

"I figured." Joy chuckled, climbing up into bed. Without another word, Joy got into a comfortable seated position and patted her thighs in invitation; an invitation Irene was more than happy to accept. Upon Joy's request, she remained hovered over Joy's lap until her cock was held in ready position. She lowered her hips until the head nudged her entrance, breathing a sigh of anticipation. She gasped as the head stretched her flower open and began slowly easing herself down onto the phallus.

"You're so long." Irene muttered faintly, rising up after only taking about a quarter of the length inside. "How big are you?"

Joy groaned when warm, wet walls clenched around her. "Just shy of nine inches. You'll only be able to get about seven and a half in you."

"Oh my god! You're massive!" Joy blushed a bit but appreciated the boost of confidence.

"Well, what I don't have in girth I make up for in length." Sharp nails dug into Joy's shoulders and formed little crescents in her skin as Irene made another descent causing the younger to wince both in pain and pleasure. It took everything in her not to thrust up into the warm tightness embracing her. The downward movement halted again while Irene allowed herself a moment to adjust.

"Take your time. There's no need to rush." Biting her lip, Irene lowered herself once more until her entrance was finally resting on top of the bumper.

"Holy shit." Irene breathed, giving herself plenty of time to soften up and accommodate her dongsaeng's cock. She settled once more, immediately resting her nose against Joy's jawline so her shaky breaths were more audible. Meanwhile, Joy rubbed her back gently before moving on down to her thighs and butt, giving the latter a playful squeeze to take her mind off of the urge to buck. A sudden keen caught her attention, watching as Irene's head fell back on a wanton moan. The sight of it was heavenly - Irene's back curved into an elegant arch, a waterfall of raven locks flowing down her back, perky breasts on full display.

Joy couldn't stop herself if she tried.

The loudest cry thus far reverberated throughout the dorm at the warm, wet sensation of Joy's mouth suddenly sucking on her left nipple. She laced her fingers in Joy's hair, cooing sweet words of encouragement into the alpha's ear. Feeling brave, Irene's hips began to rock compelling both parties to gasp. Joy's head rested against Irene's chest, hands holding her hips steady as they moved in a slow, steady rhythm back and forth across the younger's lap.

"You're so tight." Joy gasped. "Sometimes I can't feel it since I'm so skinny, but you're the perfect fit." Irene moaned, seemingly in a daze as she worked her hips in search of that perfect spot. Knowing better than to interfere with the hunt, Joy focused on the sensation - her lips attached to Irene's collar bone like a leech. Once she grew bored of that, Joy laid back against the bed, carefully readjusting their position to cowgirl. A sudden cry made the hairs on the back of Joy's neck stand on end. It seemed Irene had finally found her sweet spot. A hand trailed up to cradle Irene's flushed cheek, the omega leaning into the touch with a lazy expression on her face.

"I'm scared to move." Irene sighed. In truth, she was afraid for two reasons; one of which being losing track of the spot she had taken so long to pinpoint while the other was her fear of possible pain. However, these worries were subsided by a pair of gentle lips on hers.

"Go at your own pace. I want you to be comfortable."

"I want to be underneath you." Joy's eyes widened in surprise. She figured having Irene as the bottom would open more opportunities for miscommunication or fear. The whole reason behind her allowing Irene on top was so that she could control her own pace and pleasure.

"Are you sure?" Irene nodded. Not aiming to disappoint, Joy carefully rolled over so that Irene was now comfortably rested on the bed with Joy hovering over her. However, she was visibly hesitant to move despite how badly she wanted to.

"Sooyoungie?" Brown eyes lifted to gaze at the goddess beneath her. "You can move now." Taking in a deep breath, Joy timidly rolled her hips, waiting to hear or see a reaction from her partner. Irene simply sighed, allowing her body to move with the motion of Joy's hips. Her hands came up to rest beside her head in a display of comfort and content. Perhaps having sex with Irene in her own bed was a good call after all.

As her movements became rougher, Irene became more vocal. What began with a pleased hum quickly blossomed into a symphony of moans and whimpers of delight. A soft hiss slipped through the gaps in Joy's teeth while Irene's hands fisted the sheets in the most visually delicious way possible. Joy paused for a beat to change her position. The new angle of her hips allowed Joy's length to nudge a spot deep in Irene's core that made her head swim.

"Ah! Sooyoung-ah!" The alpha groaned, still holding herself back for the sake of fucking Irene in the most tender yet pleasurable way possible. Irene looked up with hooded eyes at the sight of Joy moaning on the verge of orgasm - hips stuttering in speed on occasion.

"U-unnie I'm-" She cut herself off with a long whine through gritted teeth. "Are you close?"

"So close..." Irene's velvety walls began to contract around her length and the younger couldn't muster the resolve to hang on any longer. With a frail cry, rockets of white shot up into the condom - fireworks exploding behind her eyes. This sparked a chain reaction as Irene's legs began to tremble, though she was having a little trouble teetering over the edge. Her own hand made contact with her clit and that was all Irene needed to reach nirvana. Her back arched, supported by Joy's arms as she finished, a rough blend between breaths and moans mingling with Joy's own labored breathing. Eventually, the younger could no longer trust her arms for support so she fell to the side, panting into Irene's neck.

After a long, semi-awkward pause, Joy finally spoke up. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. " Irene panted, staring blankly up at the ceiling. "You?"

"Good." The conversation ended there. Unsure of what more she should say or do, Joy simply basked in the afterglow beside her leader who had been doing the same. Her attention was snared at the smallest sign of motion. Irene sat up, turning to make a careful attempt at standing. Her legs wobbled for a moment, but not enough to cause her to fall.

"I'm going to the bathroom." She declared, throwing on her robe and making her way towards the door. "I'm not trying to get a UTI this week. You can stick around if you want, though I'm not sure there's a reason to." She chuckled over her shoulder.

"Nah, I'll leave you alone. Just let me collect my bag of tricks." Irene chuckled, disappearing down the hallway.

Joy was expecting to feel guilt or remorse afterwards but was surprised to find she quite enjoyed the experience. She felt closer to Irene somehow - probably because they just bumped uglies. However, this new attachment wasn't sexual in nature. It was odd.

Gathering her things, Joy made her way out only to be stopped by Yeri's figure loitering in the hallway. Her sudden appearance startled the alpha making her heart nearly leap out of her chest like a frog. Recollecting herself while waiting for her adrenaline to die down, Joy scowled at the maknae.

"Can I help you!?"

"Well? How was it?" She asked with a shit-eating grin.

"Fine." The alpha muttered, turning on her heels to walk away with her box of toys in hand.

"Just 'fine?'" Yeri quipped with a hint of sarcasm on her tongue. "Because judging by the noises you guys were making-"

"Yerim-ah!" The girl cackled as she made a break for her room, slamming the door behind her in case Joy decided to make chase. A few dramatic moaning noises were muffled behind Yeri's door and Joy couldn't help but chuckle at the evil maknae's antics, finally making her way back to her own room.


	3. III

"Please!?"

"No."

"Pretty please? I'll be your best friend!"

"No." Yeri groaned, stomping her foot like a child while Seulgi casually walked towards the couch with a cup of hot coffee in hand.

"Why not!?"

"We go by the winning order of the game, that was the deal. It's not my fault you came dead last." Seulgi replied nonchalantly, munching on one of Wendy's famous Christmas cookies while staring at the TV. The maknae's face burned with the heat of a thousand blazing suns. 

"It's not fair! You call all of the shots around here anyway! Why can't you do me one favor!?"

"I'm not giving you my slot!" Seulgi snapped, growing irritated with the youngest's complaining. "You can wait your turn like the rest of us. Go cry about it to someone who cares." With an angry groan, Yeri stomped out of the kitchen, slamming her door so hard it made the walls quake.

She was seething with rage. How was she supposed to wait four whole days before getting her shot with Irene? She was always last for everything, now this? Flopping on her bed face-first, Yeri screamed into her pillows in anguish. All she could hear through her labored breaths was the ticking of the clock on her nightstand and the sounds of a laugh track playing on the TV in the living room.

Once her little temper tantrum faded, Yeri started thinking. She had no experience in the wonderful world of sex. She didn't even know what she liked, let alone what Irene wanted in a lover. That aside, one thing was for sure; she wanted to outperform Seulgi. If she could do that, it would be the ultimate revenge. Just thinking about the look on Seulgi's face when she realized she had been bested by a beta - even better, a virgin - made Yeri giggle to herself devilishly.

A little light bulb went of in her brain. If she wasn't able to convince Seulgi, maybe she could convince Wendy. Talking her into making the switch should be pretty easy - even better, she'd get to have Irene before Seulgi. Wendy would do anything for her members, so maybe putting off her own day with Irene wouldn't be such a big deal for her. With a restored sense of cheer, she shot out of her bed as quick as a bullet, speeding down the hallway. She nearly ran into Joy which earned her a few snarky comments. 

"Watch it, or I might step on you." Yeri stuck her tongue out tauntingly, aggressively pounding on Wendy's door before taking the liberty of opening it herself. She grabbed the back of Wendy's desk chair, spinning her around so they were face to face. A look of bewilderment adorned the poor girl's features.

"Your day with Hyunnie is tomorrow, right?"

"Y-yes?" Wendy stammered, caught off-guard by the sudden interrogation. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Switch with me!"

"Wha-?"

"Please, unnie!" The desperate maknae pleaded, sinking down to her knees in front of Wendy. The scene looked more like a young peasant begging for their life.

Confused by the whole situation, Wendy finally managed to get a word in. "Why does the order matter? We should be thankful Hyunnie's even letting us do this in the first place."

"Because! This is going to be my first time and Hyunnie is getting old! What if she's too warn out by the time she gets to me?" Wendy chuckled, patting the maknae's head reassuringly.

"Unnie isn't that old. You'll get your chance, just be patient." Wendy made a move to swivel back around but her chair was jerked aggressively once more. 

"Please?" Yeri pouted. "Beta to beta?" The older's lower lip was snared between two rows of pearly white teeth. 

"Fine. I need the extra time to set up anyway." A pair of pale, willowy arms nearly choked the older woman.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The maknae cheered in excitement, making a beeline for the door. "I owe you one!" With that, the door slammed shut and a series of thundering footsteps dashed further out of ear-shot. Wendy chuckled and shook her head at her adorable yet ever so obnoxious dongsaeng, channeling her concentration back towards her computer screen.

Early the next morning, Seulgi's bedroom door quietly creaked shut, its owner wrapping a scarf securely around her neck. The sun wasn't even up yet thus the dorm was covered in a thick, blue layer of moonlight. While getting up early on a cold, winter morning - even worse, a day off - was annoying to say the least, Seulgi did appreciate the extra bit of light reflecting off the snow. It was nice not having to worry about tripping or waking everyone up with her flashlight that seemed to shine with all of the light power on the planet.

As Seulgi fumbled with her watch, something rather unusual caught her eye. It appeared the lights were on in Yeri's room - a phenomenon uncommon even at normal hours. She quirked a brow at the golden light peeking out through the gap between the door and the floor but figured she shouldn't question it. Instead, she pulled her coat off of the hanger by the door and tugged it over her arms, making her way out into the hallway.

As she was about to embark on her morning jog, her feet hit something with a loud thump. Looking down in confusion, a cardboard box shipped under Yeri's name sat patiently waiting to be picked up. Out of sheer curiosity, she squinted and ducked her head to read the company listed on the postage sticker.

"Mine! That's mine!" Seulgi's eyes boggled, catching her balance after being so rudely nudged by the girl in question. Yeri briefly apologized before slamming the door closed behind her leaving Seulgi standing out in the hallway in bewilderment. Figuring it was none of her business, Seulgi reached into her pocket for her phone, scrolling through her playlist as she walked off towards the elevator bay.

That afternoon, Joy stood outside the maknae's door with a plate of food in hand. After her first series of knocks remained unanswered, she tried once more.

"Yerim-ah! Your food's getting cold!"

"Just a minute!"

Joy sighed, moving the plate from one hand to the other so her poor arm could get a break. "I swear, this girl..." Moments later, the door cracked just enough to expose Yeri's face. Joy held out the plate for her dongsaeng to take which was intercepted with a small 'thank you' before the door slammed in her face. The alpha took some offense to that.

Who the hell does she think she is? I'm still an alpha, for crying out loud!

A little more aggravated than before, Joy pounded her fist against the door. "Ya! What are you even doing in there!?" The soft sounds of feet hitting the floorboards let Joy know the maknae was approaching the door. Yeri peaked her head out, ignoring the onslaught of lessons about manners spewing out of Joy's mouth. She checked to see if the coast was clear before yanking the taller girl inside mid-sentence. 

As Joy was about to complain and question why the younger had been acting so strangely, her jaw nearly hit the floor. The entire room looked like a sex dungeon. Odd contraptions and some rather intimidating toys were placed in several stations throughout every inch of Yeri's room. Wood-colored eyes landed on a nine-tailed whip and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. 

"Yerim-ah, what is all of this!?" She exclaimed. The maknae said nothing, smiling up at her as if all of this was completely normal.

"Do you like it? Pretty cool, huh?"

"I hope you're not planning on using these things on unnie!" Joy picked up a heavy-duty chain, wincing at the thought of what the younger could possibly been planning on doing with that. Yeri's expression faded.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

Joy whirled around in disbelief, opening her arms for emphasis. "You see no problem with this at all?"

"Nope." Yeri replied, popping the 'p', completely oblivious to the downfalls of her setup.

"Unnie isn't into this sort of thing!" Joy explained, gesturing around the room. "She's about as vanilla as they come!"

"I want to broaden her horizons." The young beta replied in a far-away tone, moving her hands in a mystical arch motion. Joy glared at the girl with a stern shimmer in her eye.

"You can't spring something like this on someone! You have to get consent!"

"Unnie loves surprises!"

"I doubt a whip and bondage machines are the surprises she has in mind! Where did you even get this stuff!? You can't afford to buy us dinner but you can salvage enough pocket change for a sybian!?" Yeri groaned, plopping down on her bed with a huff. Despite how over-the-top Yeri had taken things, she lacked the experience other members already had under their belts. She wasn't aware of the formalities that came with sex. All of this was so new and exciting to her. She wasn't thinking so much about meeting Irene half-way as much as she was getting everything she could out of their time together. It was for this reason that Joy took pity on her.

The bed caved a little beside a pouting Yeri. The alpha sympathized with the younger's thought process that unfortunately drove her to extremes. She had good intentions at heart and would never knowingly do anything to hurt Irene. Joy knew this, and yet still found it necessary to make the repercussions of the bet she started as enjoyable as possible for the loser she loved like a sister. The older woman put a hand on Yeri's shoulder - something that garnered the younger's attention. 

"I know a lot of your ideas come from books you've read." Joy murmured. "But all of that is fiction. You're dealing with a real person and real dangers dabbling in something of this magnitude right off the bat. You should start at level one and work your way up."

"What's level one?" Yeri inquired with a hint of curiosity.

"Kissing and hands." 

"And after that?" 

The taller girl gave the other's back a reassuring pat. "You'll know when you get there." Joy took another look around the room, getting up to assemble a few of the objects in Yeri's collection. The younger's interest piqued as all of the toys that passed the test were placed on the bed beside her. "If she agrees to use toys, start off with these." Joy suggested. "I don't think she'll be opposed to them. I mean, I talked her into using a butt plug so-"

"Wait, you got her to do butt stuff!?" Yeri exclaimed in disbelief which earned her a hand slapped over her lips.

"Say it a little louder! I don't think the people across the street could hear you!" 

"Sorry." Yeri giggled as the hand went away. The duo sat quietly side-by-side at the foot of Yeri's bed. Joy, sensing the sudden spell of silence becoming too awkward for her to handle, decided to take it as her cue to leave.

"I guess I'll leave you to it. You should put this stuff away before Joohyun unnie sees it." Joy said on her way out. "And play nice!"

Yeri chuckled. "Okay."As the door began to close, Yeri quickly called after her. "Unnie?" Joy paused, looking at the younger expectantly. The mischievous - and apparently rather kinky - maknae blushed, looking down at her hands folded neatly in her lap while gently kicking her feet. "Thanks."

A sweet smile graced the older's lips as she pulled the door closed behind her. "Any time."


	4. IV

Irene spent her time waiting for Wendy to come fetch her in the same way she would anything else; cleaning. She found it quite therapeutic - picking up the clutter and feeling cleansed of her troubles afterwords. However, there had to be a mess to clean up so a good six weeks worth of litter and clothes she had intentionally misplaced were scattered around her bed, desk, and floor. She hummed merrily to herself, a sense of satisfaction washing over her at the wonderful sound of debris getting sucked up into the vacuum. As she carried on with her chores, a figure standing just inside of her doorway caught her attention a second too late. The woman released a loud yelp, nearly tripping over the chord of the vacuum thus yanking the plug out of its socket in her act of surprised clumsiness. 

"Yerim-ah!" She scolded, locking the vacuum down in its upright position. "You could've knocked!"

Yeri maintained her stable, blank expression. "It's time though." Irene cocked her head in confusion. 

"Time for what?" Yeri suddenly reached for her hand, grabbing her by the wrist instead and dragging her down the hallway towards her room. "Yerim-ah! What's going one?" Irene exclaimed, trying to pry the younger's hand away. Her captor didn't answer. Instead, she found herself flung into Yeri's dark bedroom with the door locking behind her. Yeri turned around with her back against the door, flashing her unnie a devilish smile.

"I'm about to rock your world!" 

"Wait, I thought I was supposed to be with Wendy today!" Irene breathed in panic, backing away from the tiny girl who was slowly approaching like a tiger stalking its prey. 

"She agreed to trade me. Surprise!" The omega squeaked as tiny, sloppy kisses decorated her neck. She continued to move backwards until the backs of her knees hit the bed. Yeri gently urged her to fall backwards to which the older cautiously obliged. It wasn't long before a soft weight was on top of her with nimble fingers tangled in her hair. "I had a lot planned for today," Yeri groaned, still slobbering all over what little skin was available at the moment. "But I guess you're not as much of a freak as I thought." The comment humored Irene.

"What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know, you're pretty quiet so I just thought maybe you were the silent but kinky type." A little sigh was expelled from Irene's lungs as Yeri's lips pressed against a tender spot on her neck. While it certainly felt nice, the risk that came with having the younger's mouth exploring that region made her nervous.

"Don't mark there, Yerim-ah."

"I know." Sensing her leader's inner turmoil, Yeri decided to take her curiosity elsewhere. She wasn't expecting Irene's skin to smell so good. Then again, she always smelled good although this time was different. "Are you supposed to be in heat right now?" The question received no verbal answer but she could feel Irene nod under her ministrations. "I thought so. You smell really nice." Yeri's happy hands shook with excitement and intrigue as they explored the omega's body - an observation that made Irene chuckle. Those same hands grabbed the hem of Irene's top, lifting it up as far as it could go in this position until it stopped just below her breasts.

"Someone's eager." Irene hummed with a teasing smirk receiving a slight chuckle in return.

"I've never done anything like this before." She said, admiring Irene's smooth stomach with her hand.

"Then let's go back to lesson number one." Sitting up, Irene pulled the younger closer by the collar of her shirt to initiate what would be their first real kiss. What began as a series of brief pecks blossomed into something more as Irene's tongue peaked out to urge Yeri's mouth opened, her hand moving up to cradle her jaw. When her cue was answered, Yeri moaned as Irene's warm tongue moved in to greet hers. Each reconnection of lips sent sparks down to each woman's core - a sensation somewhat familiar yet still so foreign to Yeri. When Irene eventually made a move to pull away, Yeri's lips hungrily followed making the older woman giggle. "It's impolite to fuck someone without at least a proper greeting."

"Can we do more of that?" Yeri asked with a curious twinkle in her starry eyes. 

"We have plenty of time for that later. Right now, these clothes are feeling a bit too restricting."

"Right!" The beta all but shouted. "Is there a special sexy way to go about doing this or...?" Irene's laughter rang like a bell. She couldn't help but pinch the younger's cheeks which had gone unappreciated by the recipient. "Unnie!" She whined - a response that only made Irene melt more.

"I'm sorry, you're just so precious to me." Irene cooed with a warm smile. "No matter how much you grow, you'll always be that happy little ten year old to me."

"Then doesn't that make you a pedophile?" Yeri joked, giggling at the appalled expression on her unnie's face. The latter eventually chuckled along with her, tickling Yeri's sides to make her laughter even louder. "Stop! Stop! This is so not sexy!" The younger cackled, kicking her legs with glee.

The tickle attack inevitably came to a close. Opting to take the lead in moving things forward, Irene decided when it was time to get down to business. From her place straddling Yeri's hips, Irene pulled her shirt up and over her head, shaking out her hair as she carelessly tossed the garment aside. Yeri could do nothing but ogle the beautiful woman perched on her lap in silence with eyes the size of a lemur's. "Woah." Blushing at the compliment, Irene tucked her chin to hide her smile behind a curtain of raven locks before leaning down to plant a kiss on Yeri's forehead. "I'd try that too, but I don't think it'll look as good."

"You always know how to kill a mood, don't you?" Irene chided.

"I prefer the term 'shift.'" As Irene's attention was diverted through laughter, Yeri's hand came up to rest against her bare abdomen. She admired the smooth, clean perfection of her skin, gliding her hand up only for it to stop just before reaching the swell of the woman's full breasts. Yeri's eyes flickered up to meet Irene's in a heated stare that made young Yeri swallow. "May I?" Irene nodded though her searing gaze remained focused on her handler's pretty little face. A nervous hand finally worked up the courage to cup one of the woman's breasts, gently squeezing it in fascination. "I have my own but for some reason touching yours feels different."

"That's to be expected." Irene assured her, placing her hands just above Yeri's knees and using them to support her weight. Yeri's other hand soon joined its sister in fondling her leader's chest, mashing and groping them playfully. A soft hiss made Yeri look up and quickly retract her hand. Irene's face was somewhat contorted - eyes clamped shut, brows furrowed, lips slightly parted to hint at pearly whites. It was so beautiful and so fascinating yet so concerning all at once. 

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" 

"No," Irene sighed. "It feels good." Bright eyes blinked in wonder. How could a sound of pleasure be identical to one of pain? Joy said that her risque adult novels were just works of fiction but she found similarities between those stories and reality. Hoping to test her theory, she gently pinched one of Irene's nipples between her fingers. The action garnered an immediate reaction - one Yeri had been looking for. Irene's neck snapped back and her mouth hung open in a silent moan. It was as though all of the air in Irene's lungs had been trapped in her throat, unable to escape.

_How captivating._

A slow, rolling motion in Irene's hips brought the younger's attention down to where their bodies met. Her shorts crinkled under the omega's subtle ministrations. Yeri had yet to bat an eye towards the woman's clit and at this point, Irene was desperate for some friction. 

Realizing the error of her ways, Yeri was quick to make amends. "Hold on, let's get you out of these clothes." Irene rose on her knees, fumbling with the button on her lounge shorts and quickly sliding them down her lithe legs. While the older's attention was diverted, Yeri removed her own clothes before settling back into her original position with her back against the headboard. Irene had been the first to finish undressing and spent the wait giving her clit the attention it craved. 

Having finally caught up, Yeri nearly choked on her saliva at the sight of Irene in all of her naked glory, lazily playing with herself at the foot of the bed. Her eyes drank in the vision in front of her, seeing everything there was to see. A part of her cursed herself for keeping her room so dark. She wanted to look at her leader's center but found herself too embarrassed to do so, shielding her eyes behind her hand.

"You can look, Yerim-ah." Slowly and with great hesitation, Yeri peeled her hand away and feasted her eyes on Irene's leaking entrance. Two of Irene's fingers moved to hold her flower open, giving Yeri a better understanding of how both of their parts looked from a clearer perspective.

"It's different from what I expected." Yeri breathed in wonder, tilting her head for a better angle. "It's so pretty and pink. It's kind of...cute?" Irene giggled, slowly crawling towards the head of the bed.

"Do you have a towel?" A brow quirked at the rather odd inquiry.

"Why?"

"I'm an omega." Irene said matter-of-factly. "I make a lot more...juices."

"Oh! R-right." Yeri stammered nervously, reaching for her tee shirt from earlier. "Use this." The raven looked down at the fabric in her hands with a look of worry. 

"But it'll be ruined."

Yeri shrugged. "That's fine. It's old anyway." The younger gnawed on her lower lip, watching as Irene rose to place the shirt under her legs. "Actually, could I try licking you first?" Irene appeared to be taken aback by the younger's sudden interest. 

"Are you sure? I'm not lying when I say I leak a lot..." With a reassuring smile, Yeri nodded eagerly which seemed to settle Irene's nerves ever so slightly. Irene leaned back, Yeri shifting her position so she was laying between her partner's legs. 

The omega peeked over her own body, making direct eye contact with Yeri as she spoke."Do you need me to walk you through it?" 

"I prefer to learn from experience." Without another word more, she grabbed her leader by the legs and pressed her nose into her nether regions, taking in her most natural scent. "Wait!" Irene jumped in surprise, watching with wild eyes as Yeri all but fell out of bed, rummaging through her nightstand. She came back with a blindfold and a vibrator - both of which having received Joy's stamp of approval. "Are these okay with you?" Irene inspected the objects and nodded, simply relieved that nothing had gone wrong.

There was very little difference between having the blindfold on and sitting in Yeri's dark room though the suspense that came with having her sense of sight stripped away made the experience more exciting for Irene and made Yeri feel as though she wasn't being watched under a microscope. 

"Are you ready, unnie?" Irene nodded, letting her head fall back so she could play her part in helping Yeri explore her sexuality for the very first time. She could feel the younger shifting her position, gently blowing puffs of air over her sex. When she had enough of that, Yeri moved on to the main course. The timid tip of her tongue gently poked at Irene's entrance - similar to how one dips a foot in the water before diving straight in. Yeri paused for a moment and savored the taste of her leader out of curiosity. She was surprised to find that she tasted much sweeter than she initially imagined. Perhaps it was because of her heat cycle? 

Irene suddenly gasped, gripping the bedsheets in clenched fists when a warm tongue licked a bold stripe over her pussy in its entirety. A pair of hands held her ankles while a symphony of wet slurping noises echoed off the walls reaching Irene's ears. Yeri was eating Irene's pussy like it was her last meal. Irene moaned in bliss, appreciating the occasional hum of Yeri's own moans against her clit. However, there was another hum that made her senses tingle. 

"Yerim-ah? What're you-? Oh!" The woman's back immediately snapped into a tiny arch, labored gasps making her lungs and throat sore. Her walls stretched to accommodate what she assumed was a vibrating dildo. The head of it brushed a spot against her front wall that made her body sing with pleasure. A hand quickly moved from its place at Irene's side to tangle in Yeri's hair in an effort to keep herself grounded. The maknae moaned into her meal, loving the feeling of Irene's light tugs at her hair. Her partner's wanton moans drove Yeri's performance, making her want to hear more and more of those sweet sounds. The vibrations, penetration, clitoral stimulation, and messy sounds coming from between her legs made Irene come in mere minutes. Her legs trembled and shook as she reached her high, head falling back as a series of long, guttural moans escaped her throat.

Yeri's messy bedhead popped up from between her legs with Irene's abundant slick dripping from her chin. A big, beaming smile was plastered to her face - all of the joy and admiration she could muster written on her features. She just sat there - gazing at the woman in front of her like a miner who just struck gold. As Irene slowly came back down to earth, she struggled to catch her breath, rolling her head and smiling lazily down at the younger girl from underneath the blindfold. 

"I knew that mouth of yours would be good for something."

"That was so hot!" Yeri breathed in awe as Irene sat up, carefully removing the blindfold. "So much better than I thought it would be! You were all like 'Oh!' and I was all like 'What!? No way!'" Irene chuckled, though her dongsaeng's messy eating habits quickly became quite apparent. With furrowed brows, she reached for the tee shirt, moving to wipe some of her own slick off of Yeri's small face. "Oh, this?" Irene watched wide-eyed as Yeri cheerfully licked her lips and fingers clean. "You taste really sweet, by the way. Kudos to you on that."

"I'm surprised a beta would think so." Yeri hummed, wiping away the remainder she couldn't get to. 

"We may not be alphas, but I'm sure betas know good pussy when we taste it."

"Ya!" Irene exclaimed, slapping Yeri's shoulder. 

"What? Don't tell me you're getting all fussy now after I just gave you the orgasm of a lifetime!" 

"Oh? Getting cocky now, are we?" Irene teased, ruffling Yeri's already messy hair. 

"I have every right to be cocky." Yeri replied while trying (and failing) to fix her hair. "I have six more hours and a whole closet full of toys that could make you hear colors. Besides, I'd like to see you do better." Irene smirked, playfully cocking her head while walking her fingers up Yeri's chest to boop her nose.

"That could be arranged." The maknae swallowed the lump in her throat, leaning back against the headboard as Irene chased her into a kiss. The older's hand came to rest on Yeri's warm thigh, brown eyes staring straight into her soul. "I'd like to try something with you if you'll let me." Yeri nodded a bit too eagerly, watching Irene scoot back and support herself on her arms. Yeri had seen this somewhere before. The thought of trying it out for herself never crossed her mind although she's glad Irene brought it up.

Said woman made sure the tee shirt was in proper placement before slowly meshing her sex with Yeri's. Both women gasped at the contact, Irene slowly grinding her hips so her clit mingled with that of her partner. Yeri's head suddenly felt too heavy for her neck. She let it fall back in abandon as blissful whimpers let Irene know she was doing a good job. The omega watched Yeri's breasts bounce for a moment. It's what drove her to make her movements more sporadic, making it so that Yeri could never predict where her next high would come from.

"Unnie!" Yerim cried out for mercy as another gush of fluids mixed with Irene's. The latter gasped and grunted in exertion, determined to give the younger one last high note to end on. "U-Unnie I'm-!" Almost as soon as her previous orgasm ended, another one swelled launching Yeri into orbit. The poor girl's body shivered and quaked, her arms no longer capable of supporting her weight. She crashed against the bed with a grunt and that was all the confirmation Irene needed to know the younger was completely spent.

While her partner took her turn gasping for air, Irene took it upon herself to handle the aftercare. She reached down to retrieve the tee shirt only to realized it was soaked in a cocktail of their combined juices - mostly her own though. Yeri managed a sleepy smile, looking at the garment dangling from her unnie's hand. 

"I might just keep that." Irene flashed her a look of pure disgust making Yeri laugh. "I'll wash it of course! It'll be a token of our friendship."

"I'm so glad that your memory of me will be of us scissoring because I lost some stupid bet." The omega snorted, tossing the shirt into the empty dirty clothes hamper surrounded by the clothes that didn't quite make the journey. 

"Nah. This is just the guilty pleasure food you hide in a secret drawer where nobody else can find it." The accurate but oddly specific analogy earned a genuine laugh from Irene. Feeling a bit worn out herself, the raven crashed beside Yeri on the bed. "I'm not sure if we'll get another chance to do this, but i _really_ wanna introduce you to my sybian."

Irene's brows quirked up at this new bit of information. "You have a sybian? How?"

"The internet is an incredible place." Yeri sighed, folding her arms behind her head. "Manager oppa is gonna kill me for it, but the stuff I bought is worth every penny."

"I might just have to be the judge of that...one of these days." The duo laid in silence for a moment, gazing up at the ceiling fan before Irene piped up one more. "I'm curious; why did you and Wendy decide to switch days?"

"I was worried you'd be too tired to do anything by the time it came to be my turn." She paused for emphasis. "You know, because you're old." Yeri could practically feel the hole Irene's sinister glare was burning into her skull. A few playfully rough slaps made Yeri giggle, moving to block Irene's tiny fists of fury.

She couldn't have been happier having shared her first time with someone she loves so much.


	5. V

Red Velvet's dressing room was buzzing with activity as the members and their staff rushed to get them ready for their set. While Yeri and Wendy were getting a few last-minute makeup touch ups, the others were either scrolling through their phones or taking a moment to collect their thoughts before the performance. A soft knock on the door made a few heads turn.

"You're on in five." The stage manager called, scribbling something down on his clipboard on his way back out into the hallway. When he lifted his head for a split second, his face turned white at the sight of Irene seated on the couch. "Why is there an omega in here?" He snapped in disbelief. The girls looked among themselves, Joy and Seulgi slowly moving to guard Irene while the omega ducked her head in shame. This sort of behavior wasn't uncommon, even in the world of entertainment. Still, the girls weren't sure how to go about handling the situation without upsetting the stage manager or Irene herself. "She shouldn't be here! The last thing you alphas need is any temptation!" The stage manager pushed Joy and Seulgi aside and grabbed Irene tightly by the wrist in what appeared to be the point of bruising judging by the pained squeak it elicited. Joy made a move to stop him, but was ultimately held back by security.

"She's a member of the team! She shouldn't have to be separated!"

"There's another dressing room next door. Don't threaten your group's reputation over this." Joy peered around the men, only able to watch as the director dragged Irene down the corridor as quickly and carelessly as he could with a few of their beta stylists and makeup artists following close behind. 

* * *

After their busy day of schedules came to a close, five wilting figures piled their way into the van for what would be their last commute for the day. Every muscle in their bodies ached - the vocal line sounding incredibly hoarse to boot. Poor Yeri was out like a light as soon as her butt hit the seat, leaving the task of buckling her seatbelt in Joy's capable hands.

The drive back to the dorm was dead silent - Seulgi's snores and a bit of Wendy's loud music blaring through her earbuds being the only true outliers. The knowledge that it was already reaching three in the morning made Irene's skin crawl. In just a few hours, they would need to be up and ready for another whirlwind of a day. It didn't help that it was early morning in the dead of winter. Warm dawns were tolerable, but there was nothing worse than starting your day freezing cold.

Craning her neck, Irene looked into the back two rows of seats and smiled. The streetlights flickering by casted dramatic shadows over the sleeping faces of her members. That is, all of her members except for Wendy. The girl turned her head away from the window, flashing her leader a cute little smile. Irene reciprocated the gesture before turning back around to face the dashboard again. A part of her wondered if Wendy had an intentions on participating in the little ordeal they had going on. She was always so shy yet ironically greasy when teasing her members in a more implicative way. Even so, Irene couldn't bring herself to look past the adorably giddy side of the younger that makes her blush and hide her face when the others playfully poke fun at her in return. The girl was a mess of contradictions; something that made Irene very curious. 

Her phone buzzed in her lap, the light of it nearly blinding her when she flipped it over. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she saw Wendy's name pop up in her notifications. She slid her thumb across the screen, wondering what was so important that it couldn't be said out loud. 

Are you ok? 

Irene glanced down at the greenish brown bruise forming around her wrist where the stage manager had grabbed her. Not wanting Wendy to worry, she hid the hand inside the sleeve of her sweater, typing out a response.

I'm fine now

That's good.

Are you comfortable still seeing me on Friday?

The raven's head turned to spare a glance at Wendy over her shoulder, but the younger never made eye contact. Instead, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, a hint of a blush barely visible through the smokescreen of darkness overtaking the van. With a soft sigh, Irene's thumbs typed out an answer before she turned the screen off entirely, resting her head against the car door.

Looking forward to it <3

* * *

Thursday came and went without any sign of Seulgi. Irene had spent all of her time and energy eagerly anticipating when the young alpha would summon her only to be left empty handed. Her disappointment was short lived, however, and was quickly replaced with worry. What if something had happened to her? Maybe she was lost? Or bombarded by a sasaeng entourage? Even worse, what if she was kidnaped and enslaved in some off-the-grid village somewhere? The panic began to swell the more Irene thought about the endless possibilities. 

She texted their manager in regards to Seulgi's whereabouts, but didn't receive an immediate response. It's not like Seulgi hadn't wandered off before. In fact, she was quite notorious for disappearing into thin air only to show up several hours later than expected. Maybe Seulgi simply didn't want to participate in the bet after all. 

A soft knock on the door made Irene lift her head away from her phone. Wendy stood in the doorway with a gentle but charming smile on her face, her head tilted to the side ever so slightly.

"Ready when you are." She held out her hand for Irene to take - a rather romantic gesture on her part. Pushing Seulgi aside for the time being, the omega allowed Wendy to take her hand and lead her off down the hallway at a jogging pace. The duo giggled and shushed one another like a couple of high school sweethearts sneaking out of class for a quick rendezvous. Their pace slowed to a stop in front of Wendy's bedroom door. She looked at Irene with a nervous expression, never once letting go of her hand even as her palms became moist with a layer of sweat. "Close your eyes." Irene was skeptical, but did as she was told; closing her eyes and trusting Wendy to guide her in the right direction.

She heard the door creak open and allowed the beta to urge her forward a few steps. The room was relatively warm compared to the hallway, a cozy fragrance smelling of bourbon and soaked vanilla greeting her senses. Wendy took a deep breath, prompting Irene to open her eyes once more. 

The room was illuminated by a multitude of scented candles and string lights. The tiny flames' flickering, golden light reflected off of the walls creating a warm and sensual ambiance Irene had only ever seen in romantic movies. Rose petals were scattered around, some of which occupied the bed spread while others decorated Wendy's floor and desk spaces. Soft, slow violin ballads were playing through the speaker on one of Wendy's shelves setting a rather romantic mood for something that was intended to be just a hookup. 

"Do you like it?" Wendy nervously inquired, awaiting Irene's response. 

The omega's heart clenched in her chest. "It's beautiful." She whispered in astonishment, walking over to carefully inspect one of the rose petals on Wendy's desk with her fingertips. "You didn't have to do all of this just to seduce me."

"But I wanted to." Wendy insisted. "I didn't want to treat this like just a casual thing. You mean more than that to me." Irene hid her swooning heart behind an analytical exterior, pretending to observe the strings of fairy lights wrapped around the window frame instead. 

"No one's ever..." Wendy cocked her head, unable to hear the older woman's faint mumbles over the music playing in the background.

"Unnie?" Irene turned her head, covering the warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest with a friendly smile.

"Sorry. Shall we?" Returning her unnie's smile, Wendy nodded. She ushered Irene onto the bed, coaxing her into laying on her back while she made a move to straddle her. Once she was hovering over the older woman, Wendy looked down into the pools of muddy water gazing up at her. The warm glow of the candles surrounding them gave her shimmering eyes a beautiful amber hue. She almost regretted buying those candles to begin with. They only seemed to make Irene even more perfect than she already was and in return, made Wendy pale even more in comparison. She was in way over her head.

Suddenly feeling rather sheepish and embarrassed of herself, Wendy's cheeks blushed a rosy shade of pink. She had the wonderful Bae Joohyun willing and patient underneath her, waiting for her to make the first move and _now_ was the time she decided to clam up? After she worked so hard to do the research and put all of this together? In the typical Wendy fashion, she began to mentally berate herself for already messing things up when a hand came to rest against her warm neck. Sensing the younger's distress, Irene gazed up at her with a worried expression. 

"I'm sorry." Wendy sighed in defeat. "I've already messed up, haven't I?" Irene shook her head adamantly.

"Not at all. It's alright to feel nervous, Seungwan-ah. I am too." 

Wendy looked at her in disbelief. "Wait, why are _you_ nervous? You're perfect."

"I've never shared anything intimate with you guys before. It makes me vulnerable and that's something I'll always be afraid of, but I'm willing to try if you'll meet me halfway." Irene moved her hands to intertwine them with Wendy's firmly positioned just above either side of her head. Wendy thought for a moment. While learning more about one another's bodies in such a way may have been more than just a bit scandalous, it would certainly create a sort of understanding and closeness they had never been able to reach with each other before - especially for Irene. As an omega, she ran the risk of imprinting with anyone who got too close - physically or emotionally. If Irene was willing to offer herself up as a sort of sacrificial lamb in spite of that all in the name of forming a stronger bond with her members, then Wendy figured she should be too.

"Just...don't set your expectations too high, okay?" Wendy murmured shyly. "I don't hold a candle to alphas in terms of...size."

"Apparently that's a lot of candles." Irene chided to lighten the mood, looking around at the beautiful environment Wendy worked so hard to make for her. Her clever use of contextual irony did manage to earn a bashful chuckle from Wendy. Happy to see her dongsaeng's smile, Irene quietly watched it form from below. "Seungwan-ah." Wendy took notice of the stars in her eyes, gazing up at her in the way one would a long lost lover. "Touch me." Her soft hands grabbed Wendy by the wrist, placing her hand over her beating heart.

"I guess we're doing this, huh?" The beta chuckled in spite of herself. However, her words didn't fool Irene. From the way the younger girl's hands were sweating and trembling, Irene knew she was nervous and it showed straight through her eyes. The beta nervously swallowed. Without warning, Irene slipped her hands out of Wendy's, pulling her down for a kiss she wasn't quite prepared for. Wendy froze wide-eyed as Irene pressed strategically placed pecks on her lips to butter her up. A pair of soft, womanly hands slid underneath Wendy's tee shirt and lightly scratched the pasty skin of her back mid-kiss.

Just as Wendy was finally getting used to the current smooching style, a warm, wet tongue gently glided across her lower lip, begging for entry. Her mouth opened on a surprised gasp that allowed Irene's tongue to slide in with little effort. Wendy was unsure of what to do or how to respond to Irene's language of lips and tongue. Instead, she remained as stiff as a board with her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth pried open to allow Irene the access she needed to explore. Noticing the tension in the awkward woman's anatomy, Irene decided to take the initiative. She sat up to undo the buttons on her blouse, but a hand suddenly halted her progress. The omega quirked a brow in confusion.

"Please? I want to do this." Happy to see the younger girl warming up to her newfound sense of curiosity, Irene sat back and let Wendy take the wheel.

First she just eyed the bit of Irene's cleavage left exposed after the first two buttons had been undone. The shirt really suited Irene's figure, hugging every curve of her upper body in the most aesthetically pleasing way fathomable. The fact that the garment wasn't designed to be particularly provocative or eye-catching only made it that much more appealing to Wendy. The plump swells of Irene's breasts peaked out through the gap in the clothing making Wendy curious. She gently poked one of the mounds with her finger, enjoying the plush give of it. 

"You can give them a little squeeze if you want." The mischievous glint in Irene's eye was a major turn on. Wendy quickly discarded the shirt altogether, staring at Irene's bare chest for the first time.

"No bra?"

"Too restricting." Irene sighed, letting her head rest back against the pillows. A pair of hands took each of Irene's breasts and gently squeezed, their owner reveling in the soft moan she was rewarded with. Wanting to hear more of those sweet sounds, Wendy groped and jiggled them in any way that garnered a similar reaction, her confidence slowly rising along with her arousal. 

"Hold on, let me try something." While Wendy abandoned her post to retrieve the bottle of massage oil Joy preferred when her back was feeling stiff, Irene subtly slithered out of her pants and underwear. When Wendy spun back around, she nearly dropped the bottle at the sight of Irene naked and waiting for her. She hopped back in bed and rubbed a bit of the oil on her hands. Irene looked up at her expectantly, hissing a bit when the warm oil made contact with her bare skin. Wendy's hands glided from her chest to her navel, fanning out over womanly hips down slender legs until she reached Irene's dainty little ankles before working their way up again. This massage continued for a while, Wendy's gentle hands working Irene over until she couldn't take any more. 

Irene had been very patient with Wendy, but her body was aching to be touched elsewhere. A pair of oil-coated legs opened up to rest on either side of Wendy's hips, successfully gaining her attention. Her own hand reached down between her legs and slowly rubbed her clit making her eyes roll back in her skull. Wendy sat back and watched her expressions change with a slack jaw, a certain twitching in her pants making her more aware of her own sexual appetite. The omega's body shimmered in the candle light, the flames reflecting off of the oil's glaze in a way that was unique to each individual wick. The contact between the pads of her fingers and her throbbing clit kept the ache in Irene's loins at bay for the time being. Still, it wasn't enough for her. 

"Seungwan-ah." Said woman looked down and oh, what a treat it was. Irene's sex glistened with arousal, coating her own fingers in liquid pleasure as she sighed and moaned in sheer bliss. Wendy watched in amazement as hooded eyes peered up at her, laden with desperation. "Please." The tiny plea didn't fall on deaf ears.

"Okay." Wendy murmured quietly. "Just don't look at me yet." Abiding by the other's wishes, Irene let her eyes fall closed. She allowed herself a moment to bask in the scent of the candles and the chill of the air cooling the oil on her skin. Wendy quickly stripped herself down to match Irene's standard of dress, straddling her once more. Wendy's free hand moved down to grip Irene's right leg, pushing it away from her body so she could settle comfortably between the woman's legs. Their eyes locked for a long moment, Irene looking at Wendy with an expression so familiar yet so foreign to the younger. It was a look of lust - something Wendy never expected to lay witness to in the eyes of her unnie. "Ready?" Irene gave a slight nod, anxiously waiting for Wendy to line herself up properly. 

Giving herself a few pumps for good measure, Wendy rested the head of her cock against Irene's entrance causing the latter to hiss at the sensation. Taking a deep breath, Wendy prayed not to come too soon as she slowly drove her hips forward. Warm walls squelched as they enveloped her girth in such a way that made the both of them cry out. When her hips kissed the omega's pelvis, Wendy paused for a moment to give Irene enough time to get acquainted with her proportions. She was stubby, but quite thick making Irene's walls stretch. The beta reveled in the feeling of Irene wet and pulsing around her as she worked to fit her size. 

After some time, Irene's insides softened up enough for Wendy to begin thrusting. Irene breathed a low sigh, whispering up to Wendy with her heart nearly beating out of her chest. "You can move now." Wendy set the pace, slow and steady. She rolled her hips to get a feel for the proper motion before rocking them up a bit to stimulate Irene's g-spot. The action did not go unappreciated. The omega's eyes squeezed shut with a choked moan, not expecting such a move so soon. Perhaps she had underestimated Wendy's knowledge on the subject.

Wendy wasn't too keen on fucking her partner into the mattress. Instead, she wanted to take the sweet, sensual approach to sex one might describe as lovemaking only void of the lovers aspect. She wanted her setup to feel like a part of the experience, soothing Irene's senses until all the could feel was pleasure. 

As the pace of her wave-like thrusts increased, the bed began to creak and groan under the sounds of Irene's occasional, airy whimpers and Wendy's soft grunts. The latter could do little to keep herself from ogling the beautiful woman writhing underneath her. Her head was turned, eyes closed as the pleasure her partner's body provided possessed her. Tiny hands were clenched into fists beside her head, rocking with the jerking motion of Wendy's mattress. Her pink lips parted to let little sounds of her own creation filter through, barely audible over the wallop of the bed and seductive music still playing in the background.

Each little squeak and whimper made from pure satisfaction caused a chain reaction in Wendy. She wanted to slowly rock Irene to completion, however, her window of opportunity was cut short as an eruption of catastrophic proportions pushed abundant streams of thick, white lava deep inside of Irene. Wendy groaned long and low as she rode out her high, though her mission was far from complete. Irene still had yet to come and she had no intentions on leaving her hanging. 

Hoping to beat the wave of exhaustion suddenly eating away at her determination, Wendy held Irene's slim waist with both hands, pulling her body down to meet her rugged thrusts. Wet squelching sounds graced her ears combined with the fervid gasps and moans of her surprised lover. 

"Fuck! Fuck! Don't stop!" Irene cried out, loving the moderate pace while pulling Wendy down so her weight was somewhat crushing her.

"Isn't this too close?" Wendy managed through labored breaths, groaning at the feeling of their breasts mashed together. Unable to summon the words in such circumstances, Irene shook her head, pressing her hands to the backs of Wendy's shoulders to keep her warm body pressed snugly against hers. Her legs began to tremble at Wendy's sides as she neared her own orgasm. 

"W-Wannie!" Irene wailed in desperation, nails leaving red trails down Wendy's back as she was tastefully and lovingly humped into the mattress. She began to whimper like an omega in heat, her walls constricting tightly around Wendy's cock to milk out as much friction as she could but the beta never relented. Instead, she used her girth to nudge Irene's sweet spot over and over again until the omega nearly blacked out from the consistent contact. Sweet release washed over Irene like a warm shower, her body spasming uncontrollably underneath Wendy. She opened her mouth to let out a little moan, but a pair of lips swallowed her euphoric wails so as to not wake up the other members. 

When it all became too much to handle, she hastily tapped Wendy's arm to get her to separate before the overstimulation hurt any more than it already did. She winced as Wendy slowly pulled her length from its sheath, a river of their combined juices spilling out onto the comforter. Irene jittered as her aftershocks wore off, Wendy laying at her side, gazing at her with a worried but lazy expression.

"Sorry. Feeling okay?" Irene nodded, gasping for air like a fish out of water. She lay there a damp, oily mess - staring up at the ceiling. The scent of the candles was now completely overshadowed by the smell of sex. The moisture on her skin was now a mixture of massage oils and her and Wendy's sweat. Their urgent need of an aftercare bathroom visit crossed her mind, but her body was having none of it. As she lay there struggling to calm her racing heart, Wendy gently moved them so they were both safely tucked under the covers.

The duo laid in silence until their breathing evened out, still not speaking a word even after the fact. Instead, they both stayed on their backs - staring up at the ceiling, the smells and damp spots from their coupling confirming that the past twenty minutes had in fact been a true moment in time. 

Finally, Irene spoke up. "It was fun while it lasted, but my poor body can't take much more of this." She sighed in a cocktail of relief, satisfaction, and exhaustion making Wendy smile.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Thanks for being such a good sport." Irene chuckled quietly, giving herself a few more minutes of recovery before making an attempt at standing. When she decided to test her luck, she slowly put some of her faith in her legs only to feel them tremble under her own weight. When she gave it another try, she nearly collapsed like a newborn foal learning to stand if not for Wendy being there to catch her. "You can sleep here if you want." She suggested. "Or at least until you can walk again."

"That'd probably be best." Irene sighed, allowing Wendy to gently pull her back in bed by her arm. A peculiar coloration caught Wendy's eye. She examined it closely, gasping at the gnarly bruise left there by the stage manager from before.

"What's this?" Irene glanced down at her wrist, touching it gingerly.

"Oh, that? I got it earlier, but it was my fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But you weren't though." Wendy defended on her behalf. "You're a part of the group too. You have just as much of a right to be in there as any of us." Truth be told, Irene was somewhat embarrassed by the whole ordeal. How did her own team really feel about her? Was she just a charity case or some poster child for omega equality? Did Wendy or the others think any less of her for actively participating in Joy's promiscuous game? Worried, she rolled her head to the side to ask one of the most honest people she knew.

"Wannie?" Expressive brown eyes flickered over followed by a hint of a smile.

"Yes?"

"Do you...think I'm slutty?" Wendy's eyes widened to the size of saucers, obviously taken aback by such a question.

"Of course not! Why on Earth would you think that?"

"I don't know." Irene shrugged. "Omegas are supposed to be pure and well-mannered. Meanwhile, I've been willingly passed around from bedroom to bedroom all week. Doesn't that sound a bit slutty to you?"

"Not at all." Wendy replied. "You're entitled to your own body, unnie. If you want to have sex for the sake of a bet, that's your call to make whether you're an alpha, beta, omega, two-toed sloth..." Irene snorted. "What I'm saying is, only you can judge you. And we'll love you no matter what, so I guess it's safe to say you're stuck with us." Irene giggled, curling into Wendy's side with a quiet yawn.

"I'm glad."


	6. VI

The door to Wendy's room creaked open early the next morning. Two nosy heads poked in, taking a good look at the romantic interior decoration and snickering among themselves. They took turns shushing one another as they lurked their way towards the edge of the bed. It was clear that Wendy was very much awake though her eyes were still closed. She squinted, failing to notice the maknae line peeking over the side of the bed while tucking a strand of ornery raven locks behind Irene's ear. The girl was an absolute vision, even in slumber. Her eyes spared a glance at plush lips parted ever so slightly to allow safe passage for air straight into her lungs. The overwhelming urge to protect the older woman from the cold prompted her to shift slightly closer. With a content smile and a dreamy little sigh, Wendy's eyes fell closed once more. 

"Oooooh! Getting cozy I see!" Wendy's eyelids flipped open once more in alarm. Finally taking notice of the youngers' presence, she shot them a glare.

"Shh! Can't you see she's still sleeping?"

"I'd hope so! She's had quite a week so far." The trio paused the conversation and watched Irene take in a shaky breath through the nose though she was never roused from her slumber. Instead, she curled further into the warmth Wendy's body provided.

"Well, come to the kitchen when you're ready." Yeri stated on their way out.

Wendy furrowed her brows, still adjusting to the light in the room. "Why?"

"We're hungry." 

"You can make your own food!"

"Thanks, Wannie!" The door clicked shut and the chime of little giggles fading off into the distance made Wendy sigh. Letting her head fall back against her pillow, a few tiny movements caught her attention. She rolled her head to the side and smiled as Irene slowly came back into consciousness. Her hair was a mess and her button nose scrunched in the most adorable expression of what appeared to be disgust. Finally, her eyes opened up - the first thing she saw being Wendy's happy, smiling face.

"Good morning!" Wendy chirped quietly.

"Good morning." Irene covered a mighty yawn, reaching up to stretch her arms until her knuckles tapped the headboard. "Thanks for letting me crash here."

"Hey, no worries. You were good company." Irene snorted at her words' implications, rubbing her eye with her palm. Wendy made a move to sit up, the motion of the blankets causing a few of the rose pedals to glide to the foot of the bed - some landing on the floor. The sight of it reminded her of why Irene was in her bed to begin with and as a result made the color of her face match the petals' hue. It also made her realize their state of dress - or lack thereof. "I'm gonna get dressed. Promise not to look?" Irene let out a husky chuckle.

"What's there that I haven't already seen?" Her sultry look combined with the early-morning sleepy eyes didn't make Wendy feel any better.

"That was in the dark, Hyunnie! Please?"

"Fine." She rolled onto her side so she was facing the wall while Wendy got dressed. She was aware of her own nakedness, but was much less prudish about it than she might have been a week ago. It's not like she had anything left to hide. There was nothing on her body that needed to be kept secret as everyone but Seulgi had seen her in a much more explicit state. Once Wendy was through changing, she grabbed one of Wendy's blankets and swaddled her naked form.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" Wendy managed over a nervous swallow. The deeper, more perverted side of herself was excited to have something else smelling of Irene later on. A little smirk made Wendy blush for the nth time. 

"I'm lucky I was able to stand. Don't push it."

"R-right." A quick peck to the cheek was the last little display of intimacy from Irene before she seemingly drifted out of the room. Wendy pressed a hand to the spot where Irene's kiss was placed. After all of the fun they shared last night, this little gift was easily her favorite.

* * *

A variety of chiding wolf whistles welcomed Irene into the kitchen. Joy and Yeri, being the little perverts they were, took a moment to blatantly look their leader up and down. Wendy's quilt left little to the imagination, failing to cover Irene's pale shoulders and collar bones - both of which were marked with love bites though none of them dared touch the sacred space left only for her chosen mate someday. 

"Aw, mine are fading!" Joy abandoned her post long enough to push Irene's hair behind her shoulders and nip at an empty expanse of skin making Irene gasp. "There." The alpha said with a smile, admiring her handiwork before tending to her pancakes. 

"Rest well, unnie?" Mischievous Yeri giggled over her shoulder receiving a playful glare from her target. Wendy took a seat at the table beside Irene, scrolling through her phone for recipes she had been wanting to try. "Where's Seulgi unnie? Now that I think about it, wasn't Thursday supposed to be her day with Hyunnie?"

"She probably just ran to the store for condoms or something." Joy said with a shrug, flipping the pancake over. "Maybe she wanted to wait a few more days."

"Doubtful." Yeri snorted while squirting some ketchup on her ramen. "I asked if she'd switch with me, but she wouldn't budge. Maybe something came up?" She shook the ketchup bottle only to pause and sniff the air. She smelled pancakes, but there was evidence of something more important in bloom. "Hey, Hyunnie? I think your suppressants are wearing off again." Irene sniffed her wrist to double check, confirming Yeri's suspicions. 

"I'll take them after breakfast. They won't work on an empty stomach."

"Hear that?" Yeri inquired, poking Joy with her elbow. "Control your urges."

"My urges are fine!" Joy snapped. "You should control your diet! What the fuck even is that!?" Yeri cackled like a hyena as the alpha jerked the ketchup bottle out of her hands and put it high up on the shelf only she could reach. 

Yeri grumbled in defeat. "Kill-joy."

* * *

Once breakfast came to a close and Wendy and Joy left for their schedules, Irene figured now was as good of a time as any to douse the embers of her oncoming heat. She tapped the rim of the pill bottle against her palm, expecting a few to tumble out. When none did, her heart skipped a beat or two. She peeked inside only to find her worst fear had been realized - the bottle was completely empty. 

_Oh no._

She could sense a presence looming behind her though she didn't need to turn around to know exactly who it was. A few short footsteps covered all of the ground needed for her to be sandwiched between a firm body and the countertop. A pair of slender hands snaked their way over Irene's, taking the bottle and turning it slightly so their owner could see over her shoulder. Warm breath ghosted over her sensitive ear making her gasp, the empty bottle clattering against the floor boards. She only backed further into the body behind her, quickly whirling around to find none other than Seulgi staring at her like she was dinner. "S-Seulgi-ya..." Monolid eyes remained steady, looking the little omega up and down with a tell-tale voidness in her eyes.

"I tried to keep my distance, but it seems you've called me right back to you." Without another word, Seulgi cupped Irene's clothed sex - an action that elicited a surprised but aroused yelp from the latter. "You're ready." The alpha murmured, burying her nose in Irene's lustrous hair. A familiar pool of hot magma was forming in Irene's underwear causing her to clamp her legs shut defensively. Her heat was not yet on par with the progression of Seulgi's rut though it would only be a matter of time before her body would inevitably catch up. The alpha was already sporting a rather impressive tent currently poking Irene's leg through the material of her sweatpants.

A needy keen left the omega's lips as a hand came to hold her neck just below the jaw, tilting her head back for better access to her scent gland. Kittenish licks teased the arousal right out of Irene at an alarming rate. It's like her body was on autopilot - responding to every brush of Seulgi's skin against hers. By now, the air in the dorm was noticeably muggier, an intoxicating cloud of alpha and omega pheromones drowning the duo in the scent of the other.

Irene was putty in Seulgi's hands. With each warm lick, a soft, whimpering mewl was lured from the omega's throat. A tiny hand came up to hold the wrist of the hand gently squeezing Irene's neck. Monolid eyes met blown-out pools of black tar, desperation and submission very evident in the latter. However, Seulgi was less than pleased by the amount of marks and scents left behind by her members.

"You smell like them." She rumbled in a voice like thunder. "I hate it." Sensing the alpha's displeasure, Irene instinctively calmed her down by rubbing her scent gland over Seulgi's, effectively trading pheromones. Pleased by the action, Seulgi pulled her closer by the swell of her hips. "Be a good girl for me?" The alpha rasped, nuzzling her prize's elegant neck. 

"Yes, alpha." The little coo made Seulgi bristle. If this were any other circumstance, the statement would've been nothing more than a formality. Omegas were expected to call alphas by said title as a sign of respect and acknowledgement of social hierarchy. For equality and convenience's sake, Seulgi encouraged the omega not to refer to her as such - Joy as well - though now she was growing to appreciate the sound of the term rolling off Irene's tongue. At the end of the day, she was the head alpha and a piece of her still got a kick out of recognition. 

Eager to please and be pleased, Seulgi didn't miss a beat. She attacked the smaller woman's lips with a hungry purr, moaning at the flavor of pancakes and maple syrup on her chosen playmate's tongue. Irene's knees felt weak, practically melting under the heat of their bodies being so close. The alpha fondled and groped whatever she could get her hands on, growing agitated by the amount of clothing between them. She all but growled, tearing off her own clothes and undergarments before getting to work on Irene's. Seulgi couldn't be bothered to take the time required to neatly unbutton Irene's top. Instead, she tore it open with force - buttons popping and scattering across the kitchen floor. Irene couldn't care less. Her heat was nearing its crest and her underwear was growing uncomfortably wet. All she wanted Seulgi to do right now was bend her over and go to town. 

After managing to strip Irene of her fuzzy winter pants, Seulgi admired the obvious wet patch forming on the woman's underwear. She slowly pulled the garment down, watching as a string of slick kept it connected to her target of interest. Once they reached her ankles, Irene quickly kicked them aside, yelping as she was immediately pulled into Seulgi's warm, possessive embrace. 

"I'm gonna fuck you on every piece of furniture in this apartment." Seulgi rasped directly into Irene's ear. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, you naughty little bunny?" Her answer came in the form of a long whine, nails digging into the muscle of the alpha's shoulders. A well-placed slap to the butt whipped Irene right into shape. "Bend over." Obeying the alpha's command, Irene leaned over the island, spreading her legs and arching her back slightly for a better angle.

Seulgi ogled the shimmering wetness coating the omega's pink entrance and inner thighs. Unable to help herself, she gathered some of the delectable honey on her fingers, bringing it up to her lips for a taste test. The flavor was so sweet and so uniquely Irene.

Landing another firm smack on the older's firm bottom, Seulgi placed both hands on Irene's hips, lining herself up properly. She slowly glided the head of her meaty cock into Irene's waiting warmth, groaning as velvet walls wrapped around her length in warm welcome. A hand tangled itself in Irene's hair, pushing her down against the granite, the chill of the surface coming as a form of shock to the omega's stiff nipples causing her to cry out. 

Seulgi's length inevitably met resistance indicating that Irene was completely filled. The omega moaned and clenched around Seulgi's cock. It was noticeably thicker but shorter than Joy's was, though not nearly as beefy as Wendy's. There was a certain curve to it that would absolutely nail Irene's g-spot spot if only given the chance. 

As soon as her walls adjusted to accommodate Seulgi's size, Irene bucked her hips back to nudge the head of it against her softened cervix, moaning at the painfully pleasant depth it had reached. A hand came to rest on Irene's back, simply watching as the heat-laden omega moved against her urgently. 

"When the bunny's hungry, you feed her a carrot." A swift thrust knocked a loud cry out of Irene's lungs. A series of sweet whimpers followed suit, the omega wailing in abandon as the itch deep inside of her was finally scratched. Seulgi grit her teeth and held on to Irene's hips so tight they would surely bruise, pistoning in and out of her at lightning speed. Irene's abundant juices started to trickle down, pooling between her legs though neither woman paid it any mind. They were too busy locked in their coupling to care - even as Yeri staggered her way into the scene, stopping dead in her tracks wide-eyed. The young beta whistled to herself, deciding to pull up a chair and enjoy the show.

Kittenish mewls reminiscent of a squeaky toy were being punched out of the omega's throat signaling she was already nearing release with Seulgi not far behind her. The latter folded over Irene's figure, biting the back of the woman's shoulder as she finished with a low grunt. Her hips continued to snap as rope after rope of her warm seed laid claim on the prize omega's fertile womb. Quickly, before her knot had enough time to lock them together, Seulgi retracted watching a mixture of their combined fluids leak slowly out of Irene onto the floor. As the duo gathered their bearings before round two, Yeri decided to let her presence be known.

"You guys are cleaning that up, right?" Their heads snapped to the side only to find Yeri sipping on a glass of orange juice like she didn't just witness the two of them fucking each other's brains out in the middle of the kitchen. "You both smell awful, by the way. Might I suggest shower sex?" 

"Fuck off, Yerim-ah!" Seulgi snarled, grabbing Irene and leading her off down the hallway. Seulgi's door slammed shut and that was the end of that conversation. Feeling quite proud of herself, Yeri attached her lips to her straw, eyes gazing at the remains of torn clothing and a puddle of liquid pleasure - evidence of the sinful christening that had just taken place. 

She snorted into her juice. "Nasties."

* * *

Not a moment was wasted before Irene's back was pressed against the cold, hard surface of Seulgi's door - hungry lips seizing her guard. She had always felt so calm and safe with Seulgi, but now those feelings of unconditional trust had betrayed her. She had grown too comfortable in the presence of the resident alpha. While Seulgi may have been a sweet, quirky little bear for the most part, she was still an alpha nonetheless - and a very horny one at that.

Irene whimpered as she was filled once more, Seulgi panting and nibbling on her sweaty neck in her efforts of keeping the little omega perched on her hips. "You may be a leader out there, Hyunnie, but in here, I'm your alpha." She moaned in agreement, the omega inside of her having already found Seulgi to be a worthy stud. Said stud released a feral groan, holding her partner up by the undersides of her thighs as she pounded Irene against the door in reckless abandon. There was nothing gentle about what they were doing, only primal acts of copulation, but it was enjoyable just the same. 

"S-Seulgi-!" A low, threatening rumble made her rethink her form of address. "Ah! Alpha!" With every tap of Seulgi's swollen head against her cervix, a quivering moan was knocked out of her. Her nails sank into the slippery flesh of Seulgi's back, holding on for dear life as she came with a loud, sobbing shriek. Seulgi continued to fuck her through it, feeling her knot swell at the base of her length. She wanted nothing more than to go ahead and pump a heavy load into the omega, but figured this wasn't the best way to go about doing so.

Against her urges, Seulgi slipped free from the omega's warm channel. Her cock was still painfully stiff, bobbing in its erect position, longing to perform its given duties and breed Seulgi's chosen bedmate. However, some of Seulgi's morality still remained intact even as the call of her rut and Irene's needy heat begged the opposite.

There was one massive elephant in the room that Seulgi's better judgment just couldn't cover and that was the fact that Irene's heat would be virtually insatiable without a knot or suppressants to level her raging hormones. Now, Seulgi found herself standing at a crossroads. Should she pop a knot to help her friend, or should she avoid all risk and let Irene ride out her heat alone and in pain? The longer she struggled to debate with herself, the less clear the answer became. 

Needy whimpers and the sound of a few books hitting the floor caught Seulgi's attention. Apparently Irene was way farther gone than she initially let on. There she was, humping any and everything she could get her hands on in a desperate attempt at scratching that irritating itch deep inside of her. 

"Need help?" Irene looked at her with pleading eyes. At this point, it would be a crime against humanity for Seulgi not to lend her a hand. From her place seated at the foot of her bed, she patted her lap in invitation - one Irene readily accepted. Once the omega had seated herself on her lap as instructed, Seulgi rolled her onto her stomach and pressed her upper body into the soft bedding. Her hips were propped up with a few pillows to open her up for a better angle.

Kissing her way up Irene's bare back until she reached her shoulders, Seulgi licked and bit the soft skin from her position straddling the omega's smaller form. Irene squeaked as the alpha suddenly dropped her weight, pressing her between her body and the comfortable mattress below. It was a natural display of dominance, asserting Seulgi's reign over Irene in case she should try to rebel and subsequently hurt herself during the knotting process. She kicked and groaned for a little while before finally settling down, sighing peacefully in submission and surrender.

"Good girl." Seulgi purred, licking the shell of her ear. The alpha's praises made Irene's nerves tingle. As a little reward for good behavior, Seulgi lifted herself off of Irene just enough to slip her hands underneath the omega's warm body. They squeezed her breasts like they were trying to juice an orange, bouncing them playfully making Irene moan. Seulgi nuzzled her neck with her nose, inhaling her intoxicating fragrance while continuing her work on her bountiful breasts. Irene turned her head and leaned back into the alpha's embrace, humming with delight. "What a little treat you are." Seulgi purred while continuing to fondle the older's plump chest. "You come from good breeding."

"Please, Alpha." Irene whispered wearily, fingers clenched in fist fulls of white sheets. Needing no further encouragement, Seulgi slipped her cock back inside of the woman beneath her where it belonged. 

By now the whole dorm knew what was taking place if the smell of heat and rut pheromones hadn't already clued them in. The bed creaked and shifted under the brute force of Seulgi's thrusts, Irene wailing into the pillows. The sound of skin meeting skin along with a melody of wet squelching noises helped Seulgi keep her pace, nearing her release. A firm hand struck Irene's backside with a reverberating clap, leaving a red hand print in its wake. The omega didn't seem to mind the rough treatment in the slightest. In fact, judging by the noises she was making, she appeared to have enjoyed it.

"You have the sweetest moans." Seulgi grunted in exertion, landing another slap on Irene's ass. 

Seulgi's hips alternated between rough rolling motions and quick snaps, stroking Irene's ribbed walls and g-spot in such a way that made her mouth hang open - a moan caught in the back of her throat. Irene whimpered and whined, trying to lift her upper body much to her partner's displeasure. Seulgi let out a growl of frustration, pushing the omega's head back into the pillows while her hips continued at their galloping pace. Soft hiccups and blubbering coos were the only sounds the wrecked submissive was capable of making.

Irene's eyes appeared to be glazed over in euphoric ecstasy, only the sounds of the bedsprings creaking underneath her and the rough grunts hovering up above keeping her grounded. A bit of drool peeked out of the corner of her mouth though that would soon be the least of her worries. She could feel Seulgi's knot stretching her out in order to fit the tight squeeze. Once it popped in place, she let out a low sigh of relief as a thick load of virile come was slowly emptied into her womb, thus putting an end to her current predicament. Exhausted, Seulgi collapsed half on top and half beside Irene, immediately falling asleep to allow herself plenty of time to make a full recovery before waking up for another few rounds.


	7. VII

Yeri was sat patiently waiting in front of Seulgi's door with an evil grin on her face. She had spent the past ten minutes rehearsing her lines in her head for when either Seulgi or Irene decided to come out. It's what they deserved for keeping her up all night with noisy thumps and Irene's loud shrieking. The first few rounds were tolerable, but they had been going at it off and on since their first quickie in the kitchen. At the beginning of the week she was determined to outperform Seulgi, but that dream was a thing of the past by now. At this point, she would be surprised if either of them walked out with all of their parts still intact. 

Just as her endurance was beginning to waver, Irene came stumbling out of Seulgi's room on wobbly legs with a fucked-out expression on her face. Yeri's eyes widened. The woman was nearly unrecognizable - barely even human. She looked more like a corpse escaping the morgue. It was clear to see she hadn't slept for very long. Dark circles had formed around her eyes to match the bruises, welts, and hickeys covering her little body.

Yeri picked a really good day to be nosy.

As Irene tried to work her way down the hallway using the wall for support, her legs gave out causing her to squeak in surprise. Luckily the maknae was there to catch her mid-fall, draping an arm over her shoulders. While she had a plethora of teasing remarks ready to fire on-sight, the physical state of the omega was concerning, even for Yeri. 

"I think you've had enough." She murmured in all seriousness, slowly walking the dazed omega back to her room. The scent of Seulgi still lingered on Irene's skin resulting in a rather confusing concoction that made the beta's head spin. "On second thought, a bath seems like a safer bet."

While they slowly made their way towards the bathroom, Joy flashed a friendly smile as she stepped out into the hallway, needing to do a double take for her to notice the sorry state of their leader.

"What happened!?" 

"Seulgi likes her." Yeri stated over a pathetic whine from Irene while adjusting the position of her arm. "A lot."

"What did she do!? Fuck her into some other dimension!?"

"Judging by the sounds she was making earlier, I would say it was about six other dimensions." Joy moved to let them pass and continued to watch Irene. There was a rather noticeable limp in the older's gate that made her jaw clench. When the squeaky door closed behind the duo, she stormed off down the hallway to rip the other alpha a new one.

_The nerve of that girl. She tells me to be careful then pulls something like this!?_

Just looking at the girl's stupid sleeping bear face knowing Irene was down the hall practically falling apart because of her made Joy's stomach boil even more with rage. Reaching for the nearest object she could find, she threw one of Seulgi's expensive Gucci bags at the sleeping figure with all she had resulting in a pained groan. 

"What the-? Sooyoung-ah?" 

"What the fuck did you do to her!?"

"Do to who?" Seulgi croaked groggily, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Joohyun unnie! Who else!?" The only response she received was a ballad of confused murmurs. "She couldn't even make it down the hallway on her own! If you hurt her, Kang Seulgi, so help me, I'll-"

"I stayed with Sunmi unnie to wait out my rut." Seulgi grumbled. "I can't remember much of anything after that. I didn't even know I was home until you woke me up." 

"Wait, you're in rut?" Joy whispered, piecing everything together. "...Did you knot her?"

"What!? No!" Suddenly, Seulgi wasn't so sure. "I-I mean, I don't think so! I hope not!"

Suddenly the gravity in the room felt a hundred times stronger. "If neither of us are reacting to her heat, then she's..." Seulgi followed along with what the younger was saying, eyes widening in horror as the reality of the situation dawned upon her.

"Sooyoung-ah, I-" Not wanting to hear any attempt at an apology, Joy dashed out of the room as quickly as she came leaving Seulgi alone to wallow in her regrets. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Yeri sat by the edge of the bathtub using a nearby cup to rinse the soap suds off of her leader's body. It pained her to see the water wash away the bubbles to expose the discoloration of her skin. Some of the marks were nothing more than light hickeys while others around her hips, arms, and thighs had to have been products of rough handling. There was a pretty deep bite mark on the back of her left shoulder that raised a few questions, but Yeri didn't speak them into existence.

The maknae glanced up at her leader's profile. She appeared to be a bit more in her right mind, though she hadn't spoken a word or shown any signs of voluntary movement since she left Seulgi's bedroom. She just stared off into the distance, deep in thought. Yeri felt bad for coming into the situation so ready to berate and antagonize the poor girl. After sleeping with four people and having to adapt to each of their sexual appetites almost back to back, Irene was sure to be exhausted. Then to end it with the roughest, longest session must have been even more so. 

"Yerim-ah." Her ears perked up at the faint, raspy call of her name echoing off the tile walls of the bathroom.

"Yes?" 

"Where's Seulgi alpha?" The question certainly caught Yeri off-guard. Was she not aware of the fact that she was just in bed with the girl not too long ago? And why was she using such a formal form of address?

"Still asleep I think." Yeri replied, continuing her careful cleansing of Irene's sensitive skin. The omega's face visibly fell into one of devastation - a clear indicator that something definitely wasn't right with her. Yeri bent forward to check for a mating mark and was relieved to find that there wasn't one.

The beta watched her slowly sink into the tub, her pout hardly visible under the water and soap bubbles. A little creeped out, Yeri summoned Joy for some sort of an explanation. When the youngest alpha arrived and took a moment to observe Irene's odd behavior, her heart sank to her feet. 

"Get her out of the tub."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Yeri watched the girl leave in a hurry, turning her focus back to the omega blowing sad bubbles in the water. 

"Come on, unnie." She sighed, helping ease Irene out of the bath. The woman stepped out of the tub and appeared to be in search of something - or in this case, someone - while Yeri helped her towel off. When she noticed Seulgi's shirt laying on the bathroom floor, she picked it up and held it under her nose. Yeri could only watch in disgust and confusion as Irene took a deep inhale through her nose, letting the alpha's scent fill her lungs. When she reached out to take the shirt away, Irene shot her warning daggers that made her jerk back in alarm.

_Did I wake up in the twilight zone?? What's going on today??_

* * *

Seulgi was laying on her bed scrolling through her phone when Joy practically burst through her door again. She nearly jumped out of her skin, her phone flying out of her hands and landing somewhere among the sea of clothes littering her floor. Joy didn't say a word at first. She just stood there with the same, stern expression on her face. Confused by the sudden intrusion, Seulgi stared at the other alpha expectantly.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Joy's face never wavered, even as she tossed an object onto the bed beside Seulgi. She picked it up, inspecting it in her hands. It was a simple leather collar with silver detailing and the Bae family's information engraved on the tag. Realizing what it was, Seulgi gasped and threw the object as far away from her as she could. 

"Congratulations, you idiot. You just got yourself a bedmate."

"What are you talking about?" Seulgi asked, still a little shaken up from Joy's abrupt entry followed by the shock that came with Irene's collar. 

"You imprinted on Joohyun unnie." Joy stated so casually it was almost sinister. "Can't say I'm surprised seeing as how you've had her shacked up in here for the past thirteen hours, but that's neither here nor there." Seulgi looked down at the awful object, sunlight reflecting off of the silver swan emblem - the symbol of the Bunsung bongwan. It felt like her entire world had turned on its axis. She almost wished she would've just mated her instead to avoid the spell she had accidentally cast on her leader's conscience. 

An imprint was no laughing matter. It could bond an omega to an alpha for life, though not in the same way a mating mark would. Historically, mating marks were used only to crown the alpha's main mate though now they were used as the ultimate display of love and commitment. An imprint, however, holds a completely different purpose. They were once used by clan alphas of higher social class to acquire several bedmates, or what were essentially mistresses. The alpha's bedmates would then be handled like any other form of property, traded and sometimes passed down through inheritance if they were particularly attractive or from reputable clans. It was tradition for omegas of breeding age to be given a license, a practice that was still alive in more conservative areas such as Daegu. The Baes wanted their daughter to continue wearing her collar even after making her debut with Red Velvet, but SM saw it as a safety hazard and insisted she keep it off if she hoped to keep her contract. However, as a direct descendant of the Bunsung Bae bongwan, Irene was legally obligated to keep the collar in her possession hence why Joy took the liberty of rooting around for it herself. She hoped that maybe this would leave a lasting impression on Seulgi. 

"Look on the bright side, at least you'll have a pretty omega at your beck and call." Joy spat with a venom intended to shame the other alpha for what she had done. "Isn't that what you wanted? To turn a woman you care about into your own personal fuck toy?" 

"Of course not!" Seulgi cried, angered by Joy's lack of understanding. "I never meant to do any of this! I love unnie! Why would I do anything to hurt her!?"

"Maybe you should've thought of that the moment you realized who's scent you were chasing." Seulgi's face fell into one of self reflection as Joy slammed the door behind her. 

* * *

From that day onward, Seulgi had obtained a second shadow. Anywhere Seulgi went, Irene was there - staring up at her with twinkling eyes and an infatuated smile. While an outsider may have viewed her new little crush on Seulgi as sweet and endearing, it made the recipient of her affections quite uncomfortable. Her unnie's suddenly clingy behavior didn't rest well with her, especially knowing that it wasn't at all voluntary. She missed having normal conversations with Irene. Instead, those moments had become more of Seulgi simply existing while Irene admired her as though she was in a trance although, given the context of the situation, she basically was. 

She even began sneaking into Seulgi's bed in the middle of the night. Having had her privacy invaded one too many times for her liking, Seulgi started locking her door whenever she was inside. Sometimes she would hear Irene sweetly calling for her or gently knocking on her door and the guilt would eat her up from the inside out. At the end of the day, Seulgi made her this way and it would be on her to fix it. The longer she stayed away from Irene, the weaker her imprint would become until it eventually ceased to exist. 

One afternoon, the sad little knocks and coos through the door hurt a bit more than usual. Seulgi was seated in her beanbag chair, reading a magazine with music playing through her headphones. As soon as the sounds began, the dagger in her heart twisted painfully in her chest. While her active stalking was certainly annoying, Irene was only following what her instincts were subconsciously telling her to do. Seulgi couldn't be mad at her for that. Knowing that this is what was best for the both of them, Seulgi turned up the volume to drown out the woman begging for her attention. Charming monolid eyes flickered up to her art board, landing on the pictures she and Irene drew together not too long ago. She remembered how happy they were just spending time in one another's company, talking and laughing like they used to. What if they could never have that again? She had been particularly rough with Irene during their night together - maybe a little _too_ rough. Imprint aside, what if Irene came out of her spell fearing Seulgi because of it? The alpha would never be able to forgive herself. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something being forced through the little gap between her door and the floor. She placed her headphones around her neck and reached to pick up a Ziploc bag with a now somewhat squashed sandwich inside. There was a little note from Irene stuck to the baggie desperate to know what she had done wrong. It was the metaphorical straw that broke the camel's back. Seulgi crumpled the note in her hand, burying her face in her knees as she began to sob. In moments like this she would usually turn to Irene for wisdom, but now her shoulder to cry on was the very thing plaguing her thoughts and emotions.

How were they supposed to carry on through schedules like everything was fine? Should they get the company involved? Maybe quarantine Seulgi properly for a while until all of this blew over? Seulgi wasn't sure. After hearing Irene crying in front of her door every night as she went to bed, all she wanted to do was hold her and tell her she was not the one to blame. However, in doing so she would be setting Irene's time for detachment back. She just needed three weeks away from Irene and everything would go back to normal...

...she hoped.


	8. VIII

Long after the members were expected to be asleep, Joy returned from her drama recording feeling tired and nauseated. She had hardly eaten anything more than an apple that day thanks to the company's obsession with extreme crash diets. With a low sigh, she kicked off her shoes and placed them neatly in the cubby by the door before cherry picking which member's snacks she'd 'borrow' from this time. She reached into the freezer and snagged a few of Wendy's precious persimmons, popping them in her mouth on her way to the bathroom. 

The hallway was dark and quiet except for the sounds of running water coming from the hall bathroom. Having left the door open since the hinge was too squeaky, Joy tried to make her skincare regime as quick as possible. While toweling off her pretty face, her head turned to the bathtub Irene occupied earlier in the day. She mentally cursed Seulgi for being incapable of controlling her urges, but couldn't bring herself to stay mad at her for too long. Even she - the self declared master of impulse control - had some trouble resisting temptation every now and then. Had she gone to the point of no return? No, but she had certainly thought about it on more than one occasion.

All of them knew going into this that living in such close quarters with a breedy omega would be risky, maybe even dangerous, but Irene was a part of Red Velvet too. No member gets left behind. Forcing her to live on her own because the two resident alphas couldn't control themselves simply wasn't an option by the members' standards. At first they had suggested renting two dorms; one for Seulgi and Joy with Irene, Wendy, and Yeri in the other. Of course, SM being the cheapskates they were, denied such a request and figured they'd roll the dice when it came to Irene's safety if it saved them a couple of bucks. They were doing so well with it too - that is until the bet didn't align well with the timing of Irene's heat. Joy was quickly starting to regret proposing such a stupid idea in the first place. Maybe if she wasn't so jealous of Irene's game expertise things would've been a lot different.

Turning out the light in the bathroom, Joy staggered her way down the darkened hallway under the guidance of her phone's flashlight. When a pale arm suddenly appeared within its radius, Joy clamped a hand over her mouth to fight back a loud scream. She slowly flickered its shine over just enough to see Irene's beautiful, tear-stained face resting on the limb. She was curled up in front of Seulgi's door, far from where she belonged at such an ungodly hour. She must have been there for quite a while.

Joy flashed the sleeping figure a pity smile, placing her phone safely in her pocket before crouching down to lift Irene's body into her arms bridal style, carrying her off down the hall. She pushed Irene's door open with her foot, somewhat struggling to navigate towards Irene's bed in the dark. Upon finally reaching her destination, she gently laid Irene's paper light figure down, pulling the covers up until they reached her neck. Satisfied with her handiwork, Joy turned to leave.

"Sooyoungie?" Her head snapped back, finding Irene laying in bed rubbing her eye sleepily. 

"Go to sleep. We'll need to be up in a few hours." As she pulled the door closed behind her, she saw Irene shifting to climb out of bed. "What are you doing, unnie?" 

"I want to see Seulgi alpha." Joy's brows furrowed as Irene nudged her way through the door, walking back towards Seulgi's room. Joy was quick to grab her hand, though not without some resistance. 

"Unnie's sleeping. You can see her tomorrow for schedules." 

"Let me go! I want to sleep with alpha!" Irene whined, determined to yank her hand out of Joy's grip. Unsure of what to do in such a situation, Joy pulled Irene into her room and closed the door, sitting on the floor with this tiny, angry woman struggling in her arms. Irene kicked and sobbed, pleading with Joy to let her see the person her heart desired. The younger tried to tune her out, crying quietly to herself. She had never seen her unnie in such a state of distress and she didn't care for it one bit. It scared her. This wasn't the Irene unnie she knew and loved - this was an omega running completely on autopilot. 

Eventually, having already exhausted most of her energy upholding her end of the bet, Irene wore herself out. She lay limp in Joy's arms, whimpering longingly while the young alpha stroked her head to sooth her. Joy understood how the omega was feeling. She didn't understand why the person who supposedly chose her no longer reciprocated the feelings she felt towards them. This had become a recurring theme in Irene's dating life; every time she trusted her heart in the hands of an alpha, they would suddenly lose interest and toss it away. It was all about the thrill of the chase. Once that ended and the mysterious ice queen exterior melted away, the excitement that came with it faded as well. All of the alphas her parents forced her into courtship with weren't much better. The lot of them were prideful, pompous rich boys looking for a trophy wife. They were only interested in her beautiful shell rather than the soft, shy hermit crab that lived inside. Irene didn't care so much about about appearance, dynamic, or fortune. She just wanted someone to love her as much as she would love them. 

The duo sat in Irene's dark bedroom, the omega's head laying in her group mate's lap with Joy's fingers running through her tangled hair. "Why doesn't alpha want me anymore?" She suddenly murmured sadly - a sound that made the Joy's heart break in her chest. She didn't have a suitable response in mind. Instead, she leaned down to peck Irene's forehead sweetly. "Maybe I should just stop trying." Something about the statement gave Joy the hunch that Irene wasn't necessarily talking about Seulgi but before she could ask her to elaborate, Irene was falling asleep in her lap. 

She tucked the older girl in one last time, making sure she would be warm before slipping out and closing the door. On her way back to her own room, she summoned enough bravery to check the time; 4:45 am. Joy's head rolled back with a silent groan of agony. This left her roughly an hour and a half of sleep. What was the point in even trying to get some shuteye anymore? Deciding a mere hour and a half wouldn't be nearly enough, she decided to pull through until tomorrow. Sighing in defeat, an exhausted Joy turned on her lamp and mentally prepared herself for another long day.

* * *

Commuting to and from schedules was awkward to say the least.

Irene had been the one to expand Seulgi's tolerance for skinship, but there was still a boundary line and Irene had crossed it. Multiple times. She had practically attached herself to Seulgi's side; linking arms, holding her hand, laughing at _all_ of her (lame) jokes, sitting beside her during radio broadcasts, hugging her, staring at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Each time Seulgi caught her smiling at her or felt her little hand sneaking into her own, the more it reminded her of what she had done.

Unable to contain it any longer, Seulgi pulled their manager aside and told him about the accidental imprint. They both agreed that she should stay elsewhere until Irene was freed from the psychological chains that binded her. She informed three of her members and received their blessings, but she chose to keep it a secret from Irene. It pained her to do it, but she didn't have much of a choice. If Irene found out she was leaving, she may pursue her or drive the others to the brink of insanity in her efforts to be near her again. 

A soft knock on Seulgi's door made her glance over her shoulder as she finished folding one of her tops, placing it neatly in her suitcase. Taking her cue to enter, Joy looked around at all of the objects and clothes Seulgi planned on taking with her on her temporary retreat. It was a little much if you asked her, but she figured three weeks was a bit of a stretch in the grand scheme of things. 

"I think you're doing the right thing." Joy stated with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her pajama pants. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier." Seulgi just smiled and shrugged her shoulders, reaching for more things to organize into her suitcase.

"I don't blame you. I would feel the same way if our roles were reversed."

Joy pursed her lips while twisting her torso slightly. "Are you sure you're okay staying somewhere alone?"

"I'll be fine." Seulgi assured her. "Three weeks will fly by in no time. We'll all get a little break to catch up on sleep, it's a win-win." Joy nodded in agreement, watching Seulgi move between her closet and her suitcase lying open on her bed. 

"Need help with anything?"

"I think I'm good." Seulgi said with a grunt as she forced her luggage closed. "I just need to text manager oppa to come pick me up." She added while fishing her phone out of her back pocket, typing out a quick message to their manager. Joy helped by carrying a few things to the door for her, giving the shorter girl a parting hug. 

"We'll miss you." She spoke over Seulgi's shoulder before they separated.

Seulgi lifted the handle on her suitcase, rolling it out into the hallway holding up three fingers. "Three weeks."

As Seulgi carried her belongings down the hall, throwing the raven a wave over her shoulder, Joy slowly closed the door behind her. For a moment, she kept her hand on the door handle and sighed deeply to herself. While she may be one of the main instigators in the group, she truly loved each of her members. It was always hard promoting as four or having conflicting schedules. This would be the first time Seulgi would be the only member absent, and even though they were on a break from promotions, it still hurt to see her go.

When she turned around, Wendy was leaning over the countertop with a little tight-lipped smile. She diverted her eyes down to her feet and watched them move in place while Joy walked through the kitchen back towards her bedroom. Wendy had noticed how sad Joy was to see Seulgi go and quickly came up with an idea to cheer her up.

"Hey," The alpha craned her neck to look at the tiny woman. "Wanna help me bake some last-minute Christmas cookies?" She did a little jig to make the younger smile, happy to see it had the affect she was going for. Joy giggled at how quirky her unnie was acting for her sake and nodded, joining Wendy in the kitchen to help set things up.

* * *

Mere minutes after Seulgi's departure, Irene could no longer sense the alpha's presence. She sat up in bed, listening and sniffing around for any evidence that could possibly prove her intuition was wrong. When she found none, she slowly made her way out into the common area where Joy and Wendy were busy taking a tray of cookies out of the oven while Yeri was lurking nearby playing games on her phone. 

"Hey, unnie!" Wendy chirped, waving a hand over the batch fresh out of the oven. "Come help us ice these cookies!"

Irene took a moment to look around; still no sign of Seulgi. "Where's Seulgi alpha?" Joy and Wendy shared a glance, not sure if they should lie or speak the truth. 

"Uh, she went out!" Wendy exclaimed, jabbing Joy in the side. 

"He- yup!" Joy managed through a nervous chuckle, rubbing the nape of her neck. "She went to - uh - pick up some more flour!" Wendy nodded, telepathically high-fiving the younger for thinking up something so convincing on the fly.

"The dough was pre-made." The duo's eyes followed her finger to the trash where, sure enough, the empty packet that once contained the cookie dough was hiding in plain sight. Even Yeri lifted her eyes away from her game long enough to recognize they were busted. Recognizing the hurt washing over Irene's features, Wendy quickly tried to backpedal. 

"She'll be back soon, unnie, don't worry! And until she does, you can help us decorate some cookies for her! Doesn't that sound fun?" Joy backed her up with a dramatic smile-nod combo. However, their valiant efforts did little to comfort their leader. The raven hung her head, her tiny hands balled up into little fists at her sides with fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt abandoned; abandoned by a girl who never loved her the same way she did. Now why did that feel so familiar?

The trio noticed the little tremors in Irene's form, not sure of what to say or do to make it all feel better. Joy and Wendy exchanged another glance, the latter taking a cookie in her hand and slowly approaching Irene. With a tiny smile, she offered it out for her to take. The omega's lower lip quivered, Wendy's hand steadily dropping as her sweet sentiment proved to be in vain. However, she was surprised to find herself suddenly wrapped in a constricting hug, the older woman crying into her shoulder. She glanced back at the maknaes for a life line, but they were just as clueless as she was if not even more so. Irene used to hide her emotions from them like it was some sort of Achilles heel, but after Seulgi left an accidental lock on her heart, she'd been a mess of emotions ever since. 

While she was unsure of what garnered such a spontaneous reaction - as a beta, she wasn't too in-tune with omegan or alphan behavior to begin with - Wendy tried her best to comfort the poor girl in any way she could. She guided her into the living room area, sitting beside her on the couch while rubbing her back soothingly as a plethora of heartbroken sobs continued to fill the otherwise silent apartment. As her cries faded into broken sniffles, Irene finally managed to speak.

"Why does everyone I love always find a way to leave me?" She whispered so low that the others could hardly hear. "Am I truly that unworthy of love?" Wendy's brows fell at the sad statement, the maknae line feeling the weight of it as well. Wendy wrapped her arms around her again, blinking away a few tears of her own. None of them were made aware of Irene's issues with abandonment. How could they be? Irene made a bad habit of keeping all of her concerns and heartaches in a lockbox deep inside where only she could find them. That way none of them could be used against her, but on the same token, made her somewhat difficult to understand. 

"Seulgi unnie hasn't abandoned you, unnie." Wendy murmured in a voice as smooth and soft as silk. "She didn't want you to spend the rest of your life trying to make her happy. She just wants _you_ to be happy - we all do. I can't even begin to understand the ways your body and mind betray you, but you've taken it all in stride and I envy you for that. Consider this just another little bump in the road." Wendy said, kissing the crown of the omega's head. "And for what it's worth, we're not going anywhere. It's like I told you before, you're stuck with us whether you like it or not." Irene giggled, appreciating Wendy's rain shower of soft kisses. 

"Yeah! Accept it or perish under Wannie's kissies of terror!" Yeri roared from across the room making Joy chuckle as she made her way over to the couch. 

"Does our little Baechu unnie need some loving?" She said with a teasing pouty face receiving a playful glare from the eldest. Joy invited herself in, climbing between her and Wendy, making kissie faces towards Irene who cackled and kicked to keep her lips at bay. Suddenly, Joy quickly jerked away as the realization dawned on her. She carefully inspected Irene's body, making sure she wasn't accidentally hurting any of her tender areas somehow. "Sorry, I forgot! I didn't hurt you, did I?" Irene shook her head.

"My hips and thighs are a little sore, but I'm okay." She blushed, looking down at her own legs as a few fond memories from her rough night with Seulgi came to mind. "To be honest, I kind of liked it."

"Kinky." Joy purred, receiving a harsh slap to the butt by Wendy.

"You guys are so weird. It's embarrassing." Yeri muttered from her place at the kitchen table, thumbs busy hammering away at the icons on her phone screen. 

"There's room for one more!" Joy sing-songed while playfully shaking her butt in Wendy's face and holding Irene in a hug at the same time. 

"Hm, hard pass." 

"Yerim-ah! Your mother's waiting for a hug from you!" Wendy called with her head hanging upside down over the arm of the couch. Groaning dramatically, Yeri dropped her phone on the table.

"Fine." With a sly smirk, she crawled on top of the mushy pile earning her a few groans and complaints from her members. "Be still! I'm trying to get comfortable!"

"Your foot's in my face!" Wendy griped, trying to dodge it as best she could. The maknae snickered, going out of her way to make Wendy's situation even more of a living hell by chasing her head movements with said foot. Irene smiled at the younger ones' antics, happy to see them all laughing and playfully harassing one another as usual. While the unenchanted side of Irene probably wished Seulgi was there to share the moment with them, it managed to take her mind off of recent events for the first time in a week and she couldn't be more thankful. She felt so safe in the presence of her members, but more importantly, she felt loved.


	9. IX

Seulgi punched in her door code only for it to aggressively beep at her. Confused, she tried again only to garner the same reaction. For a moment she was completely baffled until she realized that this was not Red Velvet's dorm. She reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, scrolling through her messages between her and their manager. When she found the message containing her new door code, she punched it in and was relieved to hear the sensor chime followed by the door lock clicking.

It was a nice little studio apartment. Granted, it was quite... _humble_...but Seulgi had a soft spot for its rugged vintage style and charm. She quite literally dumped her suitcase on the floor , knowing full well that none of those clothes would never make it to her closet, and flopped back on her new bed with a sigh. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of pure silence. She couldn't even hear any cars passing by down the highway nearby. It was peaceful...too peaceful. She already missed the constant noise and everyday sounds she was used to; water running in the sink, dishes clanking, a TV - whether it be Irene's or the one in the living room - playing lightly in the background, Wendy singing a little tune to herself while she went about her day, Joy screaming at Yeri to leave her alone, an LP spinning on her record player with the fuzzy sound she loved so much, Seulgi missed it all. Here, it was just her.

Seulgi walked towards the little TV sitting in an outdated hutch, turning it on to some baseball game that was playing and lowered the volume. Already, she was unsure of what to do with herself. She was so used to being aloof and just doing her own thing in the Red Velvet dorm. She thought that living on her own for a little while would be simple because of that, but now, she found herself feeling quite lonely. She sat back on the futon, opening Irene's contact in her phone, hovering her thumb over the call button. She wanted nothing more than to hear her unnie's soft, soothing voice telling her that everything would be okay again. But she couldn't - not yet, anyway. Letting Irene hear her own voice would set her quarantine back. She couldn't see, hear, write, or talk to her for three weeks. What a brutal price to pay for being an unsuspecting victim.

Seulgi's hand holding her phone limply fell to her side. If only she had listened to Sunmi. Maybe then things wouldn't have spiraled so far out of control. She had tried to hold her back, but Seulgi's stubborn determination won that battle. She should've just stopped when she recognized the scent she was chasing. It's not like she was too far gone at the time to think straight. She probably could've stopped and turned around if she wanted to, but she didn't. She continued answering the call of Irene's budding heat despite having already come to that realization and bedded her anyway. For what reason, even Seulgi wasn't sure. Maybe a part of her was still protective over Irene. For one thing, she held her position as head alpha in the group so naturally it was her direct responsibility to keep her 'pack' safe - particularly Irene. A contributing factor in Seulgi's decision was the knowledge that other alphas would start to gather and pound on the door until it either fell through or Irene's heat ended. Not to mention the fact that Joy was still in the dorm with her. While she may have an excellent grasp on her primal urges, resisting the call of an omega in heat - especially when they were so accessible - was a hard battle to fight. 

Irene usually wasn't ready to 'take a mate' until around day three or four of her eight-day heat period. Until then, a horde of alphas would usually follow the omega around, fighting for breeding rights until one dominant victor remained. Unfortunately, that had been the exact time she had run completely out of her suppressants. By the time Seulgi got to her, a group of alphas were already pacing up and down the hallway in search of the omega in the beginning stages of heat. A few that had already confirmed Irene's location tried to strangle her or force their way inside, but the door was heavy enough to push them away. Since she technically 'won' that fight, it made her the first place candidate and the pride that came with that stroked her ego to the point of no return. 

Another factor working against her was her attachment to the omega in question. What seemed like a very long time ago, a few years prior to their debut, Irene and Seulgi were head-over-heels in love. They had never gone much farther than kissing in 'Irene's' practice room before Seulgi's mother would come to pick her up, but their physical chemistry was impeccable. However, romantically, there was much to be desired. At the end of the day, Seulgi was too aloof and detached for Irene's liking while Irene was too into skinship and jealous for Seulgi's. The alpha wanted freedom and exploration in a relationship while Irene wanted someone warm to snuggle up with on rainy nights. It was a classic case of the rogue, thrill-seeking wanderer meeting the tame, domestic homebody. Sometimes such a combination managed to work, but they were not one of those lucky cases. Both of them were too stubborn and unhappy with the other's lack of understanding and the relationship collapsed because of it.

For a while, they avoided each other like the plague. Group practices quickly grew tense and awkward and when they would see one another in passing, they would change their route to avoid any form of interaction. It wasn't until Leeteuk forced them to talk things out that their bond began to heal. They spent the next three hours locked in the same practice room they shared Seulgi's first kiss in, laying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling as they slowly gained the closure they both needed. Now they were the best of friends again, or at least that's what Seulgi hoped would come of things after her seal broke.

All seriousness aside, if she was being completely honest with herself, Seulgi would admit that they had great sexual chemistry. Bits and pieces of scenes she could recall from the long night they spent rolling around in bed together painted a mosaic of the overall experience. She had always assumed Irene would be a tender love-making type but she actually had quite a raunchy side given what Joy and Yeri had told her. She liked to be pressed, stretched, manhandled, and pounded - all of which Seulgi was more than happy to do for her. While she may not be the curious explorer type out in the real world, Irene seemed to really enjoy trying new things in the bedroom which turned out to be the perfect combination with Seulgi's own desires. 

All of her explicit thoughts and memories with Irene had a few physical repercussions. Seulgi looked down at her lap, staring blankly at her fifth limb making a noticeable bulge in her pants. That had never happened while thinking about Irene before. Sure, the omega was drop dead gorgeous, but she usually had a sort of cute, casual aura about her that didn't exactly strike Seulgi as particularly sexy. The thought brought the image of Irene's naked back, bent at the hip with her hands gripping the bedsheets and Seulgi's ears burned.

Reaching a hand down the front of her pants, she looked around to see if anyone was around to catch her in the act only to recall that she was completely alone for the time being. She palmed her erection through the material of her boxers and slid out of her jeans until they pooled around her ankles. Seeing no reason to rush, her hand continued to rub herself through the soft material of her underwear. Her head fell back against the back of the futon as a little sigh of satisfaction commended herself for her actions.

Seulgi had never felt bashful when it came to masturbation. After all, it was a natural part of a healthy sex life and that was nothing to be ashamed of. However, there was a certain amount of censorship and discretion that should be maintained out of respect for the people she lived with, but seeing as how she was alone, she let a low moan reverberate in her chest.

She lifted her hips off of the futon so she could slide her underwear down her legs. The head caught on the rim of her boxers, slapping against her toned stomach upon release and bobbing heavily, waiting to be touched. Her slender fingers teasingly traced over the veins rippling out of her curved shaft. With a small grimace, she wondered if she had time to grab some lotion from her suitcase, but figured her mood would be killed by that point.

Feeling a little disgusted with herself, she spat on her hand and used it as lubricant. The cool air of the apartment meeting the wet coating sent shivers down her spine as she grabbed herself at the base, slowly stroking a hand up to the head before making its way back down. Seulgi grit her teeth, eyes screwing shut as the sounds of Irene's moans echoed in her mind. Her hand twisted around her length which elicited a soft, gasping groan.

She thought of the way Irene's pretty little face contorted in pleasure, her head thrashing about on the pillows while crying out her name in the heat of abandon. She could still feel her legs pressed against her hips, squeezing around her. In her mind, she was there; thrusting into Irene's warmth with the bed creaking erotically underneath them. The speed of her hand began to increase, wet sounds filling the empty air of the lonely apartment.

Her hips began to buck up into her hand with a few low murmurs, a bit of precome further lubricating her generous length. Her hand didn't feel as good as Irene, warm and wet, clenching around her. She missed the way her ribbed walls stroked her just right, milking her for all she was worth.

She began speaking in tongues to the Irene in her imagination. She spouted off all of the naughty things she wanted to do to her while jerking herself closer and closer to completion. Her eyes rolled blissfully into the back of her head, her toes gripping the carpet as she soared higher and higher until she touched the stratosphere, her breath getting caught in her throat. 

"Uhn, unnie!" The tension straining in her stomach snapped as streams of hot come erupted out of her phallus. Some of it trailed down the length of it while the rest landed on her stomach and thighs. She panted through the aftershocks, waiting for the warm, fuzzy feeling in her head to fade away. The slow-burn realization that she had just masturbated to the thought of her leader and ex-girlfriend made her feel a little sick to her stomach. That familiar feeling of guilt began to gnaw at her chest as she wiped herself off and prepared for a cold shower as a form of self-punishment.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the dorm, Irene was feeling a little queasy herself. 

Her stomach felt like it was tied in knots. Since she was prone to indigestion, she figured she either ate too fast or too much in one sitting. It still sucked regardless. She figured her tender breasts, cramps, and spotting layered on top of that were good signs. Maybe she wouldn't need to spend anymore sleepless nights worrying about the lack of protection thrown into the mix of their little sexcapade. 

As she shuffled out into the cold hallway, she spared a glance at Seulgi's cracked door. As her imprint was beginning to fade, she felt solely responsible for the girl's sudden departure. The reality of it was, the more Seulgi jerked away, the more she wanted to latch on. That was the way things had always been between them. For Irene, Seulgi was less of a lover and more of an addiction that had bubbled its way back to the surface. It was unhealthy. Irene knew this, and yet she always found herself wondering about what could have been. Maybe if she had been willing enough to completely change herself in order to fit the mold of what Seulgi needed in a lover. She could have been happily exhausting herself to play a character that wasn't her own to win over the alpha's affections. Then again, wasn't that exactly what she had been doing under her imprint? She wondered if Seulgi thought the same. 

Wandering around the charming alpha's room, she smiled at all of the gadgets and knickknacks that were so befitting of Seulgi's tastes. Analog items such as cameras and the broken clock pieces she liked to tinker around with were haphazardly placed in various locations around the room. Her priorities in organization were laughable. While her vinyl collection was neatly arranged alphabetically, the rest of her room was complete chaos. Clothes were strung everywhere, burping drawers on every storage compartment, random objects and makeup products littered around the room. It described her perfectly. She took care of what was most important to her even when the rest of her life was a mess.

Irene ran a hand over Seulgi's favorite wool blanket and blushed. She remembered how it felt being pressed between Seulgi's sweaty body and the mattress with the blanket softly caressing her skin. She took a moment to lay on the bed, swimming in the familiarity of Seulgi's natural scent. It was strong but feminine like fresh jasmine and lilac on a rainy morning. She could feel her eyelids growing heavy as she slowly nodded off into peaceful slumber. She had been feeling oddly fatigued lately which wouldn't have fazed her if the group had been on their regular scheduling. Perhaps she was just exhausted from spending so many nights sleeping in front of Seulgi's door. Laminate floorboards were nowhere near as comfortable as her nice, warm bed. 

Feeling generous, she decided to allow herself one hour of naptime before going about her daily chores. With a hollow yawn, she nuzzled into the wool blanket and sighed, dozing off into a sweet dream.

* * *

Joy bobbed her head along with the music blasting through her earbuds, watching as her broom pushed a line of hair and dust down the hallway. She was ready to get her share of the housework over with so she could spend the rest of her day without Irene or Wendy nagging at her. Speaking of the former, she had yet to see Irene that day. She wondered how she was doing with Seulgi gone and her imprint wearing off. She didn't know much on the subject, just that it was now considered a, "shameful act that stains the genetic code and history of all alphan kind" as one of her old grade school teachers had phrased it.

The fact that alphas carried so much responsibility in modern society had always sat heavily on her conscience. One little slip or misstep could land you in prison for the rest of your life, no questions asked. It was an everyday battle against yourself.

Her education as a child painted alphas as the Sith with betas and omegas united as Jedi. Imagine her dismay when young Joy realized she had presented as an alpha. Everyone cheerfully congratulated her and her parents on such a wonderful occasion, though Joy couldn't possibly understand why. Weren't alphas the bad guys? The ones who abused, raped, tormented, shamed, plundered, and drained all sense of peace from the world? She didn't want to hurt people. She just wanted everyone to smile and live happy lives.

Due to the negative stigma surrounding her kind, Joy started to resent herself as well as other alphas. Her friend groups in school consisted of mostly betas who had grown comfortable with having her around. She loved hanging out with betas. While the alphas were gossiping or throwing each other against the lockers and the omegas would gather in their cliquish flocks, the betas remained neutral. They kept their lives simple and got along with pretty much everyone. There were no preconceived judgments surrounding them. They could just be themselves and never have to worry about controlling any primal urges like she did. Joy envied them.

When Joy was first put into Red Velvet, she was very wary of Seulgi and Irene. On one hand, she wanted to protect the omega from a big, scary alpha while on the other, she didn't want Irene to be afraid of her as well. She had overdone it trying to get Irene to like her and feel comfortable in her presence. Instead, she came on a little too strong and it scared Irene back into her shell as a result. With Seulgi, things were a lot different. In alphan culture, it was normal to establish a pecking order. As soon as they were thrown into the same group together, Seulgi greeted her and immediately challenged her to a fight in the friendliest, most offsetting way possible. Having spent most of her childhood surrounded by betas, Joy was too afraid to participate and Seulgi claimed the top spot by default.

Of course now things had settled between the trio, though their very different upbringings certainly made things difficult at times. She still wasn't used to Seulgi's aggressive playfulness and blunt, to-the-point method of communication. She had always felt somewhat uncomfortable watching Irene do housework despite how many times she insisted she enjoyed doing it. So many speeches about how omegas shouldn't be kept in the home and groomed to be maternal caretakers circulated through her head like a tape recording every time she saw Irene doing the laundry or washing dishes. In truth, Irene had in fact been groomed from a young age to be the traditional homemaker omega Daegu prized. However, as an adult, she learned how to grow herself as a person and while she may have rejected quite a few lessons from her upbringing, she made the choice to maintain certain habits on her own. Joy simply had to learn to accept it.

As she pushed more and more debris into a little pile on the floor, something in Seulgi's room caught her eye. She gently pushed the door open, smiling at the sight of Irene passed out on Seulgi's bed. Joy rested her broom against the wall and gingerly stepped through the minefield of Seulgi's belongings. A few stray sunbeams were peeking through a gap in the curtains, bathing her tiny figure in warm sunlight. There was something different about her aura, but Joy couldn't quite put her finger on it. She admired the older woman for a moment, wondering how on Earth she could always look so beautiful even this deep in a REM cycle. Her eyes widened a little at the sight of her cleavage peeking through the top of her revealing camisole.

_Have they always been that full?_

_She does wear a lot of cozy clothing..._

Joy looked down at her own bountiful chest, suddenly feeling a little self conscience. Also feeling like a bit of a pervert, she gently pulled a nearby blanket over Irene to protect her bare arms and legs from the chill of the house. Happily leaving her alone to rest, Joy quietly pulled Seulgi's door closed behind her. 


	10. X

Irene hovered over the kitchen sink, dizzy and nauseous with a hand over her mouth. This had become a recurring theme over the past few weeks; Irene spending upwards of twenty to thirty minutes in the bathroom either recovering from a sudden dizzy spell due to her newfound motion sickness or puking her guts out into the toilet. And with Seulgi coming home in just a few days, the timing could not have been worse.

Her free hand reached for her half-empty glass of lemon water, lifting the rim to her lips and taking one small sip at a time. The citrus scent soothed her nausea, though not enough to keep her from throwing up every few hours. She couldn't even think about scrambled eggs or mashed potatoes anymore. She would hate to welcome Seulgi back by ruining her shoes as soon as she set foot in the door. 

Resting her weight on her arms, Irene sighed to herself. It was just one thing after another. As soon as one problem was slain, another reared its ugly head and Irene was growing exhausted. It felt like she would never be able to get back on her feet again. A hand came to rest over her abdomen as she heard a door down the hallway creak open. She quickly readjusted and made herself look more presentable, sipping on her beverage like nothing was wrong. 

Wendy padded into the kitchen, hair a mess with a sleepy expression on her face. "Oh. Hey, unnie." She rasped, releasing a mighty yawn. "I didn't know you were still up."

"Yep. Just finishing up my lemon water." She chirped, sloshing the liquid in her glass for emphasis before downing another swig. As Wendy moved to refill her water cup, Irene quickly slapped a hand over her mouth as her stomach lurched. Wendy turned to look at her leader with worry. "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you're about to be sick..." Not trusting herself to speak, she gave Wendy a rather unconvincing nod and turned away. Wendy's tight-lipped smile didn't mask her look of concern. She had noticed her leader's odd behavior as of late, but spoke nothing of it to spare Irene's dignity. She knew the poor woman had been put through the wringer in recent weeks and didn't feel it was her place to push for details. Instead, she rubbed a comforting hand over the woman's arm.

"Alright, well. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Receiving a second little nod, she flashed her a charming smile before disappearing back down the darkened hallway. As soon as she heard Wendy's door click, Irene made a mad dash for the bathroom. She barely made it in time without making a mess on the floor. After emptying the remaining contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl, she rested her spinning head in her hand.

How was she even supposed to begin explaining this to the others? She had always been so responsible, so careful. Now her life was quickly spiraling out of her control and there was nothing she could do but hold on. 

Meanwhile, Wendy had overheard the whole ordeal from the other side of her bedroom door. She carefully peeked out into the hallway and saw the bright light in the bathroom casting a highlight across the floor. Her heart sank in her chest at the pathetic coughs echoing off of tile walls. A part of Wendy wanted to help, but she knew Irene would come to them when she was ready. For now, all she could do was wait. 

* * *

Later that morning, Irene tried her best to keep up the act for as long as she could. While the other girls went about their usual morning rituals, Irene sat at the kitchen table, nibbling on a ginger root. Confused by her leader's odd choice in breakfast foods, Yeri decided to speak her mind as usual.

"Ginger for breakfast?" The maknae grimaced, pulling up a chair while setting her own plate of whatever hellish cuisine she whipped up that morning down on the table. "That sucks. Did manager oppa put you on some sort of crash diet or something?" Wendy's ears perked up at this. As she was scrubbing her empty breakfast dish in the sink, she tuned in on the conversation.

Irene gnawed at the root in her hands, trying not to make a face at the spicy flavor. "No. Ginger's good for you. It helps with sore muscles, infections-

"Nausea." The duo turned their heads, but Wendy never looked away from what her hands were doing. She didn't need to. Irene had just unknowingly handed her the last piece of the metaphorical puzzle she had been assembling in her head. The omega visibly shrunk in her seat. It was clear to see that Wendy was on to her - a frightening reality to say the least. It was only a matter of time before she would be confronted about it and Irene didn't feel she was ready to handle that conversation. 

Yeri turned back around in her chair, cluelessly shrugging at Irene as she poked her food with her fork. While the maknae hadn't given it a second glance, the resident omega couldn't seem to let the sly comment fly by so easily. She continued to spare quick glances at Wendy as she nibbled on her ginger root, wondering what was going through that brainy little head of hers. The younger either didn't notice or didn't care to show a reaction. Instead, she decided to go ahead and clean the rest of the dirty dishes before slinking off to her room without another word. 

From that point onward, Irene found herself actively avoiding Wendy throughout the day. If she saw her leaving her room or lounging around in the common area, Irene would dip back into her room and shelter herself away until the coast was clear. She hated to do it. Wendy was always such a kind and understanding person. If she ever had a problem, whether it be big or small, Wendy was always the first member she would go to for advice. She always had a way of showing she was interested in what she had to say. However, this subject matter was the biggest fish of them all and Irene wasn't too keen on rocking the boat any more than she already had.

After everyone else had gone off to bed, Irene snuck out of her self-bestowed prison cell. Her stomach was snarling at her, both starving and sickly at the same time. Figuring she should at least eat something, _anything_ , before going to bed, Irene reached into the cupboard for a packet of fig newtons. At least they wouldn't taste so bad coming back up in an hour...

As she turned away to leave, she caught a figure lurking out of the corner of her eye and jumped, nearly dropping her late-night snack because of it. Wendy, looking as stern and critical as ever, stood leaning against the refrigerator with her arms folded crossly over her chest. Irene gulped. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, eyes as wide as a doe's. Finally, Wendy broke the silence.

"You've been avoiding me." She stated matter-of-factly. "I think I deserve to at least know the reason why." When Irene remained quiet, Wendy lifted her brows expectantly, gesturing for her to stay. At this point, Irene knew she had no choice but to stick around for the oncoming interrogation. The woman sighed, moving to perch herself up on the counter, betraying her fig newtons and sliding them across the granite countertop.

Wendy approached her, kindly fixing the omega's untidy hair by combing her fingers through it. She paused what she was doing to crane her neck, maintaining her view of Irene’s face even as the woman shyly ducked her head and hid behind a curtain of dark tresses. A look of worry adorned Wendy's expressive features, searching for any clues as to why her leader was behaving this way. It wasn't like her to be so passive and dodgy - even if she was an omega at her core. Wendy's voice went soft as she gently urged the older to open up. "You've been acting so different lately. If there's something going on, please tell me. I want to help you."

"Nothing's going on." Irene lied, still avoiding the younger's eyes while pulling her tiny hands into the sleeves of her sweater. "It's just a stomach bug." Among the growing list of signs, Wendy had also noticed how Irene had been hiding her figure beneath large sweaters and tee shirts that practically swallowed her whole. Granted, it was the middle of winter, but Irene had never dressed so warmly indoors before. Curious, she reached out and gave the woman's shape a quick pat-down which garnered a fearful reaction from the recipient. 

"Wh-what are you doing!?" She yelped in alarm, trying to shield herself with her arms. "Seungwan-ah!" Her valiant attempt of escape was commendable, but came far too late. Wendy’s hands rested squarely on the firm, subtle curve of Irene's abdomen making the latter break out into a cold sweat. Wendy looked up at her with knowing eyes. She knew, but she needed to hear Irene say it so she could believe it.

"What’s this?"

"Uh, b-big lunch?" She figured she'd run with a story matching Yeri's earlier suspicions. "I-I've been gaining a little weight recently so they've put me on a diet..." The beta did not look convinced in the slightest.

"You may be able to fool the others, unnie, but you can't fool me. You’ve hardly eaten since Thursday." And though she would never say it out loud, Wendy had noticed certain parts of Irene looked a little plumper as of late despite her serious lack of appetite. She looked down at the pair of pale, trembling hands desperately gripping her own. "At first I thought you just had food poisoning, but now..." The way Irene's eyes fell closed spoke volumes. "You’re pregnant. Aren’t you." No words came to answer or back the question, nor were they needed to. Instead, a chilling moment of silence fell over the two like a thick fog blanketing the shoreline. "Please say it." Wendy choked out on the verge of tears. "Say it so I know I'm not just losing my mind." 

Irene looked down at Wendy with pleading eyes that stomped her heart to dust. "I'm pregnant, Wannie." Wendy took a deep breath in through the nose, trying to blink away the tears shimmering in her eyes for Irene's sake.

"How long have you...?" Irene's lip quivered slightly, the distraught woman fighting off her own emotions for as long as she could.

Finally, she hung her head in defeat. "Two weeks." She rubbed her watery eyes with her hands which were still hidden in her sleeves, too embarrassed and ashamed to look the younger girl in the eye.

"Oh, unnie."

The dams of Irene's resolve inevitably broke. She buried her face in her hands so Wendy couldn't see, her quiet sobs bouncing around the kitchen. They haunted Wendy's ears like a sad love song. Not knowing what more she could say or do to make it all feel better, she wrapped her arms around her leader and rested her head on her shoulder. She could feel the tell-tale bump pressed against her stomach and the implications of what it meant made her bite her lip with sorrow. She choked back her own round of sobs for Irene's sake, rubbing the girl's quivering back gently.

When she felt safe enough to speak, she managed to speak a few words of comfort. "It's okay." She muttered, accidentally releasing a small sniffle in the process. "Everything's gonna be okay, unnie."

She didn't blame Irene for trying to keep this a secret from her - not for a second. Her entire life and plans for the future hung in the balance of whether or not this little baby growing inside of her would get to be a part of it too. She could lose her entire career over this and while Wendy was sure that wouldn't be the deciding factor, it was certainly something worth thinking about.

As if the situation wasn't difficult enough, it's not like Irene had gone and impregnated herself. Her baby's sire had to be one of them which made everything all the more complicated. Wendy looked up at Irene, pitying the poor girl for feeling she had to carry such a heavy burden alone. She couldn't even begin to imagine how frightening it must have been keeping something of this magnitude a secret. Gazing at Irene's hidden swell, she began to wonder if it had been her doing. What would life become for them if it was?

Snapping out of her thoughts, Wendy returned to the present where Irene needed her most - tucking a bit of hair behind the other girl's protruding ear. "Does your family know?" Irene shook her head.

"They'd kill me. They think I'm still a virgin."

"But you're nearly thirty." Wendy breathed in shock. "Surely they'd expect you to have done it by now."

Irene sniffled out an airy little chuckle. "Maybe if I was an alpha or a beta. I'm supposed to be saving my first time for my mate, but I guess I didn't really see that happening." Sometimes Wendy forgot how society viewed and treated omegas like Irene. They were expected to be pure and obedient little angels, never once raising their voice or speaking out of turn. Their standing never changed. As soon as they've mated, though usually in the case of an alpha, they went from following the orders of their parents and non-omegan siblings to taking orders from their mate - sometimes even their own pups once they've grown to reach adulthood.

As a beta, Wendy was never directly taught these things as they didn't apply to her. Instead, she had to learn about the way their world worked on her own time. The parallels between the three dynamics were rather jarring if one had not already grown familiar with the other two's cultures and ways of life. However, the omegas took the cake. They were treated like dolls for their rarity and reproductive value. No omega had ever served in the military or any other high-risk career field, nor would they ever. Instead, they stayed at home or at school, learning how to become proper caregivers and tend to their mate's needs. Omegas were only legally allowed three career paths; nurses, midwives, and interior decorators.

Irene was quite literally the only exception to the rule and Wendy was glad. She got to explore the world and interact with ordinary people, learn how to speak on her own behalf, make a career for herself, have sex in private if she wanted to. And while falling in love freely should have certainly made that list, Wendy was still puzzled as to why it did not. Speaking her thoughts into existence, she posed the question, unsure if she was overstepping her boundaries. 

"It's like I've told you before. The alphas my parents choose for me only stay for my appearance and everyone I do hold feelings for get bored then run away. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll ever find a mate who loves me. Especially now that..." Wendy watched Irene's hand come to rest over her abdomen then looking up at the girl's face as though she was trying to read her mind. She found it to be an impossible task as always.

Hoping to divert the conversation away from such a sore subject, Wendy reached for a half-eaten packet of saltine crackers sitting on the counter. "Try snacking on these." She murmured softly, passing them over to Irene. "They're easier on your tummy." Irene nodded through a sniffle, wiping a few stray tears away with her sleeve. The duo fell into silence, Wendy staring at the older woman still putting in the effort to avoid her eyes. She looked so scared and humiliated. All she wanted to do was hold her and assure her that everything would be okay in the end, but not even Wendy could be so sure of that. They weren't out of the woods yet, unfortunately, but Wendy was adamant on being the light to guide her through it. "...What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know." Irene whispered. There were so many questions running through Wendy's head, right on the tip of her tongue, but she knew better than to ask questions there were no solid answers to - especially when Irene was falling apart at the seams right in front of her. "I didn't want to say anything in case something happens." Irene croaked, gently rubbing her middle. "Promise me you won't tell the others. I don't think I'm ready to face them yet." Wendy nodded in understanding.

"I promise."


	11. XI

As the last few days of Seulgi's quarantine quickly scampered by, her imprint slowly but surely dissipated into thin air. Irene began to act more like her old self again. She started doing the laundry again (always a good sign) and her pitiful cries for Seulgi through the night between multiple trips to the bathroom had finally ceased. Her brain had become less focused on thoughts of Seulgi and instead honed in on taking care of her baby as best she could while in utero. 

Even though she was hardly showing, Irene became more hyper aware of Dispatch, fans, and just cameras in general. She would even stare at security cameras in local shops just to make sure her form didn't look at all suspicious. She eventually surrendered and decided to stay inside if she could help it, though she insisted that most of the curtains remain closed at all times in case a creepy camera man managed to get a room in the hotel directly across the street. 

Meanwhile, Wendy was really trying to keep Irene's pregnancy a secret, bless her heart. The poor thing had never been good at keeping things hidden from her members before and this case was certainly no exception. Every time she got up in the middle of the night to hold Irene's hair back or caught her caressing her forming baby bump the more she was tempted to break her promise to Irene. She wanted to lay everything out on the table right away so they could all be on the same page, but this scenario called for a little more delicacy and patience. Irene had done her best to calm Wendy's raging anxiety, thanking her and assuring her that she would come clean when the timing was right. Wendy placed her faith in Irene's better judgment. There was no guarantee that she would even make it through to her second trimester given that the odds of a miscarriage were higher within the first three months after conception. Besides, a baby just wasn't the sort of thing you suddenly spring on someone - especially your closest friends. 

While Wendy immersed herself into her baking to help keep her mind off of things, Irene had become rather lethargic. She spent most of her time napping, though thankfully never in Seulgi's room. Instead, she had practically claimed the couch as her second bed - falling fast asleep at the drop of a hat. It was honestly quite impressive - maybe even could be considered a talent.

Curious as to what was happening in her leader's body, Wendy spent good money on a textbook-sized medical reference guide about omegan pregnancy. While stressing out over keeping the pregnancy a secret then turning around and buying a book about it seemed a little counterintuitive, Wendy found it rather comforting. It eliminated much of the mystery she was afraid of and replaced it with applicable knowledge that could come in handy later on down the line. She began secretly observing Irene's behavior and mapping out how it aligned with the contents of her book. Apparently fatigue was a common symptom of early pregnancy as progesterone levels were increasing. Wendy chewed on each new piece of information with great fascination, eager to learn more first-hand as Irene carried on through her journey to motherhood. 

On a cold, snowy, February afternoon, as she was layering icing on her freshly baked poundcake, Wendy noticed another new quirk in Irene's behavior. The woman was sitting on the couch watching TV when she shivered, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her hoodie before resting her chin on her knees as usual. When Wendy looked it up later, she learned it was a trait almost exclusively pertaining to pregnant omegas. All of Irene's body heat had started to shift closer to her core thus leaving her limbs more susceptible to the cold. It was with this newfound understanding that Wendy took the liberty of turning the thermostat up a few notches. She had turned her education into a sort of game for herself that worked to Irene's benefit. It was a win-win. 

* * *

Late one evening, just after the maknae line returned from a little shopping spree, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri sat down at the kitchen table to play a friendly game of go fish. The conversation began with the usual small talk summarizing their days before weaving its way over to Irene and the blatant symptoms of her underlying metamorphosis. The woman had already turned in for the night at eight o'clock and it had not slipped under their radars.

"Has anyone else noticed how much unnie's been sleeping lately?" The maknae inquired while picking through the cards in her hand, reaching into the deck to draw another. 

"Maybe it's her time of the month." Joy replied from across the table. "She was just in heat not too long ago so she's about due for one. Got any threes?"

"Go fish." Wendy murmured, turning to Yeri. "Do you have any eights?" 

"Go fish." Yeri fanned herself with her hand of cards, propping her head up on her cheek. "Not to be a bitch or anything, but she's been looking a little thicker too. Probably because we've been on a brake for so long." 

Joy chuckled shyly. "I can't really say too much. I've put on a little weight myself. But yeah, I've noticed her..." Joy paused, cupping her chest to avoid using the direct term. "... are a little bigger. I'm kind of jealous." 

"I guess she's one of the lucky ones. All of her weight goes to all of the right places." Yeri sighed, passing wilting Wendy a couple of kings. "I guess nature had to give omegas something, am I right?" Joy nodded in agreement, shuffling through her cards while Wendy swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She wanted to defend Irene in her absence, but she didn't want to seem suspicious. Knowing the younger girls, if she came off too passionate or sympathetic, they would pick at her to no end until she burst. Instead, she decided to discreetly change the subject.

"Hey, so are you guys down to help me bake Seulgi a welcome home cake tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'm game." Yeri stated. Noticing the sudden spell of silence, her eyes quickly glanced up at the odd expressions on the other girls' faces. "What?"

"Are you going to follow the recipe or give everyone food poisoning?" Joy giggled, drawing another card.

"That depends on whether or not I wake up liking you guys tomorrow." She said with a snort, tossing Wendy a few more cards.

* * *

On the eve of Seulgi's triumphant return, Irene gave her members a start as she waltzed into the kitchen wearing a slender but tastefully modest dress. Joy let out a little whistle while taking a good, long look at her. After only seeing their leader buried beneath oversized sweaters and hoodies over the past few weeks, all of them were surprised - Wendy especially so. The dress hugged her newly developing curves in all the right places. It even made Wendy want to wipe away a bit of drool until she saw the little hill protruding through the front of Irene's gown. It wasn't noticeable enough to raise any alarms just yet, but it was there nonetheless and Wendy was suddenly smitten.

"Damn! Hot date?" Yeri teased receiving a snort from Irene. 

"I wish. I'm meeting my parents for dinner." The omega suddenly squeaked in surprise when a sneaky little hand reached down to playfully grope her bottom. Irene's eyes fired warning daggers at a giddy Joy. When she turned around again, a pair of hands grabbed her by the swell of her hips and squeezed - both of the maknaes snickering among themselves.

"Keep eating well. It looks good on you." Irene raised a hand threatening to slap Joy making her flinch and break out into a frenzy of sweet giggles. Despite the harassment they were putting her through, the look of happiness on her dongsaengs' smiling faces made the eldest put on one of her own.

Irene grabbed her expensive winter coat off of the hanger beside the door, bidding her goodbyes for the evening on the way out the door. "I'll hopefully be back around eleven. Don't wait up." 

Once Irene made her exit, Yeri swerved her hands in an hour glass motion earning a few snickers and slaps from Joy. Meanwhile, Wendy was more worried about Irene going to meet her parents alone this late at night - especially looking like _that._ She supposed Irene was mature enough to handle herself on her own and her dress wasn't even that revealing, but her goddess-like visuals combined with her new, curvier figure were sure to garner some unwanted attention. At this point, she could be going out wearing a garbage bag and would _still_ be a whole tray of eye candy for lascivious alphas.

And speaking of which...

 _"_ Hey, Sooyoung unnie," Yeri smirked, pointing down at Joy's pants. "I think a little friend of yours wants some a- _tent_ -ion." The young alpha looked down and sure enough, she was sporting a rather obvious hard-on through the material of her sweat pants. She blushed, turning to adjust herself so the two betas couldn't see. When she turned back around, it was still rather obvious she was aroused but it was certainly a step up from before. Yeri smirked, practically frothing at the opportunity to pick on the poor girl. "If you need to go rub one out, go for it. We won't judge." Having noticed Joy's embarrassment, Wendy shot the evil maknae a scornful look. "What? It's not like I blame her or anything. I mean, if I had a cock-" Joy covered her face with her hands and ran out of the kitchen, a door down the hallway soon slamming loudly behind her.

Yeri's playful smirk quickly fell into a frown. A wave of guilt had knocked her off of her banter board, nearly drowning her. She had made quite a few jabs at Joy before, but she had never received such a negative reaction. Of course it was always all in good fun, but she lacked the awareness she needed to know when enough was enough. Her eyes flicked over to Wendy. The beta was not pleased, scowling at her with so much disappointment it burned.

"You take things too far, Yerim-ah. You should learn something from this." With that, Wendy pushed herself off of the island to check up on Joy leaving Yeri alone with her reflections.

Having disappeared from Yeri's line of sight, Wendy stood outside of Joy's bedroom door. She raised her knuckles to knock, but the muffled sounds of broken sobs kept her from doing so. For a moment, she just listened. While she and everyone else knew their maknae had a bad habit of digging in too deep with her banter, even Wendy was astonished by the way Joy responded. She just couldn't take what she helped dish out. The chipper alpha may be Yeri's ever-so-confident partner in crime, but the truth of the matter lied far beneath the surface. Joy was nothing more than a big softie at heart and was easily damaged by any blows or criticisms directed towards her insecurities. 

Wendy gently knocked on Joy's door, hearing a few sniffles through the other side. "Sooyoungie?"

"Go away!" Wendy sighed.

"Please? I just wanna talk." For a moment, everything was silent before she heard a pair of feet padding across the floor from the other side. The door opened, though Joy didn't stick around to escort her visitor inside, opting instead to immediately turn on her heels back towards the bed and wipe her tears with her sleeves. Wendy quietly closed the door behind her, standing between the bed and the entrance with her arms neatly folded over her chest. 

"I'm sorry." Joy sniffled, wiping the underside of her eye with the shoulder of her tee shirt. "I don't know why I ran." The beta wandered over to the bedside, taking a seat beside the teary-eyed girl. 

"Do you need to talk about it?" Joy crossed her legs in her seated position, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"I'm just really self-conscience about my..." She looked down at the thing still trying to poke free from the confines of her pants. "... you know."

"I get it." Wendy hummed. "Look at me, I'm a female beta with a male beta's plumbing. If anyone knows about body issues, it's me." It was common knowledge that while all alphas had knots and all omegas had heats, betas were a little less straight-forward. Male betas typically had male anatomy in the same way female betas usually had female anatomy. Wendy was a special case. She was not naturally conceived, thus there was a lot more room for error in her fetal development. As a result, she came out a female beta with a male beta's equipment. Her parents didn't mind it much and neither did she. They were just grateful to finally have a biological pup of their own.

Joy smiled sadly, fiddling with her fingers in silence. "It just sucks that we can't control what excites it. I wasn't even thinking about unnie in that way. I just thought she looked pretty and the next thing I knew, I was as hard as a rock." The room fell into a period of brief silence as Joy collected her next thoughts. "Sometimes I wish I was never born an alpha." She murmured in a hush tone. "It's so much pressure. Everyone thinks you're out to get them and you can only think with one head at a time. I don't wanna hurt anybody. I just want to be neutral and live a normal life." Wendy nodded, trying to digest and file away everything Joy said. 

"Do you ever feel like maybe you would want... other parts?" Joy slowly nodded, avoiding Wendy's eyes. An individual's genitalia played such a big role in where they stood in society. Alphas were the farmers, planting their seeds to keep the population growing. Omegas were the fertile farmland responsible for nourishing the farmer's crops. As for betas, they were the crows - pecking away at the farmer's harvest all the while being shooed away out of territorialism. Joy didn't want to be a greedy old farmer - she never did. She was just playing with the cards she had been dealt. "I'm sorry I can't be more of a help to you." Joy gave her a small shrug.

"You've been a pretty big help to me. Even though you can't fix me."

"You don't need to be fixed, Sooyoung-ah, you're not broken." Wendy murmured, pulling the taller girl into her embrace. "You just came with the wrong kit." Joy chuckled, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Thanks, Wannie."

Wendy smiled, giving the girl's head a comforting pat. "It's what I'm here for." The duo sat in complete silence before Joy made one last request. 

"... Permission to slap Yerimmie?" Wendy paused for a moment as if contemplating the question. 

"Permission granted."


	12. XII

Wine glasses clinked in private toasts, soft violin music playing beneath the quiet sea of murmurs consisting of blended and well-tuned conversation. It was a rather luxurious place known for its elegant ambiance and fine dining. Irene thought it suited her parents' tastes - particularly her mother's - perfectly. This was how she found herself walking into the elegant restaurant, clutching her hand purse as a few alphas lifted their heads to get a good look at her. She politely bowed to the receptionist, trying to ignore the wandering eyes following her through the maze of booths and tables as she was escorted towards the far back corner of the dining area.

She could see a familiar, towering figure of a man's back in the distance and took a moment to breathe, smoothing her dress to better disguise her little hint of a secret. A knot of nerves twisted in her chest making her feel sick. She prayed to every deity she could imagine in hopes of not throwing up until she was safely back in the comforts of her own dorm.

Irene's mother was the first to notice her arrival, rising out of her seat to welcome her eldest daughter. She was hesitant to engage in a greeting hug, too busy staring at the wider curve of her hips. "Joohyun-ah! You look... _curvier_ than I remember." Mrs. Bae chuckled through a polite smile though it couldn't mask the sickly look of disgust on her face. Her eyes drifted down to her daughter's neck, widening to find it pale and barren. "Where's your collar?" Irene's hand shot up to her neck, gulping as she realized she had forgotten the one item she needed the most that night.

"I-I suppose I-"

"Suppose you what?" Mr. Bae rumbled from his place at the table, flashing her a side-eyed glance with his pearl white oculus.

Irene ducked her head. "I've forgotten it."

"Forgetting your collar is like forgetting your name, Joohyun-ah." Mrs. Bae scolded. "If this were Daegu, I would send you home to retrieve it immediately, but for now we'll overlook it. We have more important matters to discuss with you." She urged Irene to have a seat, placing a cloth napkin in her lap while Mr. Bae simply stared at her with a cold, critical expression. The omega became quite fidgety with discomfort under the old alpha's gaze, doing anything in her power to avoid meeting it from taking long gulps of water to looking around at the ambient lighting. Mr. Bae caught on to her shenanigans rather quickly. 

"Joohyun-ah." Big, brown eyes, having accepted defeat, looked up at the man cautiously. His right eye was stern but swimming with passion while his left remained a blank canvas. "You're getting to an age where remaining mateless is no longer an option and judging by your lack of a mark, I can see that you are incapable of finding a suitable one on your own." 

"It's time for you to come home, baby." Mrs. Bae cooed, rubbing her daughter's shoulder in a half-hug. "There's a nice, sturdy alpha waiting for you there. Just think, you could be happily raising a few pups in the hills somewhere instead of working your life away. You won't be fertile forever, my dear. The sooner you start, the better." Irene sat in perpetual shock. She was expecting the conversation to be something along these lines when her parents decided to pay her a visit out of the blue, but she never imagined it would be to tell her to drop everything and move back to Daegu. Not to mention being dragged home just to be handed off into the waiting arms of some alpha she didn't even know the name of. Surely he would smell her current state - that was a given. The only reason her father hadn't smelled it by now was solely due to the fact that he had lost his sense of smell in war. Irene's younger sister passed her a sympathetic glance as she wordlessly lifted her glass to her lips. 

"He's a good man. You would do well for him, Joohyun-ah, which is why we want you pregnant for him by late spring." She didn't know what to say. Her mother just smiled, fishing around in her purse.

"He wanted me to give you something while we were in town." When she found what she was looking for, she placed a beautiful crimson and gold collar on the table in front of her followed by a velvet box containing a diamond ring that had to have been at least eight carats. Irene quietly observed the objects. She picked up the collar, turning the tag over to find the crest of the Hamyang Park bongwan - one of Joy's cousin clans. "His name is Park Bogum." Mrs. Bae said with a pleased smile. "You've heard of him, I'm sure." Indeed she had. The duo were MCs on Music Bank together several years ago and while he was a nice enough guy, he never struck her as someone she should pursue a relationship with. They were polite and friendly when they needed to be, but as soon as the cameras cut, they walked off in two different directions doing little more than bowing to one another in passing. Why had he suddenly taken an interest in her now? Had his family forced him into such an arrangement as well?

Irene's thumb trailed over the golden sky dragon flying around the beautiful red strap. The collar was pretty, that much she would admit - perhaps even prettier than the one her parents had given her - but the symbolism behind it made her throat clench. She lifted her hand to her nose and a bullet of nausea sank into her stomach. It smelled strongly of Bogum and the baby in her belly didn't like it one bit. As a means of protection, the little cluster of cells released a hormone into its mother's bloodstream to get her as far away from the foreign alpha's scent as possible. 

"Excuse me." All three pairs of eyes watched as Irene all but jumped out of her seat and gracefully but desperately ran towards the restroom. A woman reapplying her makeup in front of mirror yelped in alarm as Irene practically snapped the door off of its hinges, locking herself in the first stall she laid eyes on. As the woman scoffed and made her haughty exit, Irene loudly emptied her stomach into the toilet bowl, careful not to make a mess down the front of her dress.

When she was finished, she took a moment to catch her breath and recollect her thoughts. She hoped she hadn't been too obvious. While her father and sister wouldn't be able to immediately sense her pregnancy, her mother certainly could. Omegas were flock creatures. If one member of a community fell pregnant, the others would intuitively sense it long before it became apparent and although her mother hadn't displayed any behavior worth questioning, it was still very much a concern for Irene. She rested a hand over her middle and sighed.

"You're hardly even a human yet you're already proving to be a hand full." She managed to chuckled a little in spite of herself and flushed the toilet. She made sure to rinse her mouth out and clean herself up to look presentable before making her way back out into the fray. Of course, her mother and sister watched her walk back with confused and worried expressions. 

"What happened? Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine, just nervous." Irene replied, getting back into the conversation. Their dishes had arrived in her absence and her father had taken the liberty of ordering what he found most suitable for his wife and eldest daughter. They, along with Irene's younger sister, bowed to him gratefully before carrying on about their meals.

Irene eyed the little stake shyly, worried it would send her straight back into the bathroom. Mr. Bae noticed her hesitation and lifted a daring brow as though he was challenging her to deny the food. She smiled and gave another tiny bow, cutting the rib eye and lifting a bite to her mouth. Satisfied, the man turned back to watch the rest of his family do the same. She was relieved to find that the meat didn't sit too heavily on her stomach. Truly, it was another bullet dodged. 

Suddenly, a few tiny sounds snared her attention mid-chew. Her ears perked up at the sound of an infant crying. Her eyes followed the sound, landing on a young working class family seated only a few tables over. The beta couple looked embarrassed, apologizing profusely to the annoyed patrons around them as they struggled to calm their wailing child.

Mrs. Bae scoffed with distaste, giving the couple a condescending glare. "You'd think they would have enough sense to keep the little heathen at home. This is a restaurant, not a nursery." Irene's head turned from her mother back to the couple as they hastily gathered their things and prepared to leave. As the mother and father carried their young son past their table on the way towards the front of the restaurant, the child looked at Irene with a slobbery fist in his mouth - cooing through a few blubbery sobs.

"He's only a baby, eomma." Irene murmured as she watched them go. "Have grace." Mrs. Bae just rolled her eyes at her daughter's words, stabbing at a few pieces of asparagus with her fork. Irene felt sorry for the poor couple. Anywhere they went with their child, a crowd of scolding eyes would surely follow. Soon she may very well be in their shoes. It was sadly ironic how people would speak so loudly in public yet immediately turn to glare at a child for doing the same. Infants are incapable of using language, of course. They simply try to communicate in the only ways they know how. 

She began to wonder what her baby's cries would sound like; would they be low and raspy or shrill and meek? The thought made her think long and hard about how her parents' new roadmap of her life would look in regards to her child's future. As a traditional alpha, Bogum may be too territorial to even consider raising a pup that was not of his own breeding. It was not uncommon for alphas to behave aggressively in response to an imposter's child nestled in the belly of their mate. In extreme and rare cases, alphas have been known to unintentionally kill their mates in a desperate attempt to get the baby out of them. The thought of this being a possibility made Irene's skin crawl.

At the end of the day, her decision in whether or not she would abide by her family's orders and mate Bogum or stay in Seoul to raise the child with its sire had the most impact on the child itself. The baby's true identity may still be a stranger to Irene, but it was hers nonetheless. The baby would be the embodiment of the love she carried towards its sire, regardless of who that might be. It was only in her nature as both an omega and a mother to keep her child safe, even if that meant opposing her family's values to do so. 

"I'm sorry, but I cannot just up and leave so suddenly." Irene murmured, still staring at the exit. "I have a contract with my company."

"We can arrange to meet with your executive. I'm sure we can work something out." Mrs. Bae's words were less of a statement and more of a demand. Meanwhile, in spite of her tone, her hand gently rubbed up and down her daughter's arm.

"I mean I don't want to." The hand suddenly stilled its movements and Irene's sister paused mid-bite, ogling her unnie wildly. However, Mr. Bae's reaction was by far the most terrifying of all. At first, he was silent - eyeing her with his beefy arms folded over his chest.

His deep voice rumbled in his throat like the rolling of distant thunder. "What?"

"I'm not ready to leave my career, Appa alpha." She cooed in a soft but pleading voice. "I've worked so hard and have come so far. I've survived harsh training just so I could grow to become the best version of myself and the me I want for myself isn't Park Bogum's little wife." She gently pushed the ring and collar back across the table and for a moment the man just stared at them. "If you love me as I am, your flesh and blood, I humbly beg you to reconsider." His cold eyes snapped up to the young woman seated in front of him. Sensing the rising temperatures in her mate, Mrs. Bae quickly tried to save face.

"Now, let's not get too worked up over this! We can talk as a civilized-"

"Who are you to decide what is or is not right for you!?" All heads turned to stare in bewilderment at the enraged war alpha in the corner towering over a quivering omega. Irene looked to her mother and sister bowing their heads submissively beside her, her mother desperately trying to get her to do the same. "Like it or not, I am your father! Your alpha! When I bark my orders, you are expected to take them! And right now, I order you to be compliant and fruitful for young Bogum! That is not a subject open for discussion, Joohyun-ah!"

"A-appa, I-" Her words were cut short by a firm strike to her cheek, snapping her head to the side under the force of it.

"Sir? I'm going to have to ask you to leave." A young waiter informed the raging man as politely as he could. Offended by the young buck's intrusion on the conversation, he reached out and grabbed the waiter by the collar with one hand and raised a fist with the other, bringing him in good and close to his blind eye.

"Listen here, you little shit!" He snarled. "You see this eye!? I can give you another one just like it!" The poor waiter cried out for security, trying to pry Mr. Bae's mighty fist off of his uniform. Irene tried to recover from the shock her father's slap had inflicted upon her. The commotion around her faded to nothing but white noise, even while her father made a move to grab the security guards by the neck with Mrs. Bae wailing for him to stop.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she was escorted out and had to explain what had happened to a police officer. For her own safety, he offered to drive her home in case her father wanted to get a few final words in. She watched out of the back of the police car as her father continued to challenge the gaggle of police and security guards trying to tame him. A soft hand came to rest on her stinging cheek, a few frightened tears leaking from her eyes as the restaurant disappeared from sight.

The kind officer dropped her off outside of Red Velvet's residence, giving her his details in case something should come up. He bid her a good night, driving off leaving Irene to stand alone in the night air. Her quivering breaths came out in clouds of steam made visible only by the light peeking out from the lobby. Looking down at a puddle of snow melt collecting along the side of the roadway, she found her reflection in the surface - wavering in clarity under the force of strong winds. A part of her wanted to go back and apologize, but she knew she would never see Seoul again if she did. She had scarred her father's pride and his hand to her cheek was only a taste of the punishment such an act would bring.

Upon reaching the apartment, Irene was surprised to find the lights still on, peeking out from the tiny gap in the door. She covered her bruising cheek with the fur hood of her coat, punching in the door code and taking in a deep breath of preparation. She was surprised to find Wendy seated in the chair by the living room window with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. The woman flashed her a warm smile.

"Welcome back!" She called over the slam of the door closing behind her leader.

"I told you not to wait up." Irene replied through an attempt at a smile that inevitably failed as it hurt her sore cheek too badly.

"Just wanted to make sure you got back okay. How was it?"

"Fine." Wendy's brows furrowed with concern as Irene continued to hide half of her face in the heavy coat she had yet to remove.

"You don't seem fine..." Irene set her jaw, not quite sure of what to say in response. While she thought about it, the beta placed her mug down on the coffee table and rose out of her seat, approaching Irene with worried eyes. The latter was quick to turn her head, covering the damaged side of her face with her hand for good measure. At this point, Wendy knew something was wrong. "Let me see..." Seeing no reason in hiding it anymore, Irene bit her lip and let Wendy's warm hands pull her own away from her cheek. The younger girl's eyes widened with an airy little gasp, her fingers gingerly assessing the greenish-blue bruise forming on the pale skin of her leader's pretty face. "What happened?" She inquired, cradling Irene's jaw. "Did they find out?" Irene shook her head, looking down at her feet thus forcing Wendy's hands to drop with it. 

"They've accepted a betrothal on my behalf," She whispered quietly. "With Park Bogum. They want me home and to be with him, pregnant with his pup by spring." Wendy's heart sank heavily in her chest like a treasure trove sinking to the bottom of the deepest sea. She gently brushed her hands against Irene's, silently asking permission before they were taken into cold hands. The beta gazed at the omega, though the older's head didn't rise to meet it.

"...And?"

"My father wasn't too thrilled to hear my opinions." Irene sniffled, wiping at her runny nose. 

A strand of hair that had fallen out of Irene's updo caught Wendy's eye prompting her to tuck it behind the other woman's adorably large ear instead. "What did you say?"

"I basically told him no." Irene murmured with a soft sigh. "I said I had to keep my contract, but really I'm more worried about..." Wendy watched a hand lay to rest over her belly so as to not accidentally expose their secret if the younger two should decide to listen in on the conversation. For a while, Wendy was quiet, soothingly rubbing the backs of Irene's chilled hands with her thumbs.

It was a tough spot to be in. Although Irene was an adult, she still technically belonged to her parents until she was mated and until that day arrived, the Baes had all of the rights in the world to come knocking on their door and whisk their beautiful daughter away if they so choose. There would be nothing Yeri, Wendy, Joy, or even Seulgi could say or do legally to stop them, though that was never much of a concern in the past. Hearing the omega's sniffling, Wendy pulled away to retrieve her cup of hot chocolate, placing it in Irene's hands.

"I just made it. Hopefully it'll make you feel a little better." Irene thanked her, taking a few sips of the warm concoction to warm her body up while Wendy continued eyeing the mark on her face. "I get he was upset, but that's still no reason to hit you."

"He's a traditional alpha who felt disrespected. This was nothing more than a warning shot." Wendy's face contorted into one of apallment, gently trailing her thumb over the skin. 

"Well, are you okay otherwise? Nothing broken?" Irene shook her head which garnered a little sigh of relief.

"I think I just need to go to bed and sleep this off." The tiny raven muttered, pulling off her coat as there was no longer a purpose behind keeping it on. "Seulgi's coming home tomorrow and I don't want to let the events of tonight ruin that." Wendy offered to take the coat in her arms, folding it neatly while Irene padded off down the hallway. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." When Irene's doorway clicked closed, Wendy took a moment to reflect on things. Irene had treated her father's abuse so nonchalantly like it was something she deserved. It didn't sit right in Wendy's filing cabinet up in her skull. While it may be true that she didn't fully understand the way things worked between alphas and omegas, she knew that striking someone - especially your own child - was no way to assert dominance. If anything, it made Irene's father an even weaker person in her eyes.

Her hands pet the coat like a lap dog snapping her out of her head and reminding her to hang it up on the peg by the door. With a heavy sigh, Wendy made her way towards the door and hung it up neatly though not before taking a light whiff of Irene out of the material. Though her sense of smell wasn't anywhere near being on par with an omega's - much less an alpha's - something did seem off about Irene's scent.

It smelled like the typical vanilla and roses, but it was infused with other fragrances as well. It was like she had taken her original smell, spring flowers, fresh produce, and citrus trees then put them all in a blender and bathed in the mixture before wearing the coat. Wendy held her head as a migraine slowly took hold, her head spinning like a top, as Joy had described it. Once she recovered enough to see straight, she stumbled her way back to her own room so she would be refreshed and ready to ice her 'welcome home' cake in the morning.


	13. XIII

"Slow down, unnie, no one's taking it away from you." Joy chuckled, reaching across the table for the plate of beef. The other members found amusement in watching Irene practically inhale her food. Wendy hid a soft smile behind a mouthful of kimchi. She was just happy to see the omega eating for once. As her morning sickness began to show a little mercy on her soul, Irene was now able to keep down a certain amount of food just long enough to put it to good use. She had never missed flavorful foods so much in her life and while she was thankful for Wendy's thoughtful restocks of saltines and lemon water, she was growing to hate them both with a burning passion.

And speaking of growing, the little pup had been doing quite a bit of it as well. They were turning their poor mother into a hungry, queasy pacman with violent mood swings to boot. At this rate, the little one's existence would become more and more apparent as the weeks flew by which was why both Irene and Wendy agreed that now would be as good of a time as any to break the news to the maknae line. 

Wendy spared a humored glance at the younger duo who were still completely baffled by their leader's burst of hunger. Her eyes then drifted over to Irene and the duo shared a little laugh together. Wondering what was so funny, Joy decided to bring it into the spotlight.

"I see you two snickering over there." She said with a little smile, Yeri lifting her head away from her bowl. "What's the occasion?"

"Unnie," Wendy said, emphasizing Irene's presence with her hand. "Has something she needs to tell you. Right?" Irene nodded, covering her mouth to finish chewing. Yeri quirked a curious brow while Joy just gazed at the girl with suspense in her eyes. There was no point in beating around the bush or sugar coating it. If she was going to work up enough courage to confess _again_ , it would have to be quick and to the point. 

A look of sincerity washed over Irene's features as she swallowed the food in her mouth so she could speak. "I'm pregnant." The sounds of silverware loudly clanking against ceramic bowls cued an awkward silence to succeed it. Joy just stared at Irene wide-eyed while Yeri looked like she had seen a ghost. Unnerved herself by the tension looming overhead like a dark cloud, Wendy swallowed the lump in her throat and reached over to rest a comforting hand on the omega's thigh under the table.

"Wait, really?" Irene nodded at Yeri's inquiry, taking a sip of her lemon water to keep her sudden urge to vomit under the influence of morning sickness and nervous anxiety at bay. Suddenly all of the pieces had fallen into place; her sudden weight gain, drowsiness, new scent, aversion to certain foods, constant mood swings and tearful outbursts. The answer was so blatantly obvious, practically staring them right in the face, and yet the youngest members failed to see it for themselves. Sensing her leader's building distress, Wendy massaged her shoulder before turning to the maknae line. 

"I don't really know what to say." Joy murmured. "Is this supposed to be good news or bad news?" Wendy and Irene exchanged a look, the former giving the omega a light shrug as that was not her call to make.

"I guess it's just news for now." The cogs in Joy's head kept turning as she quietly lifted more food to her mouth.

Meanwhile, Yeri was perplexed. It felt like she was seeing her unnie in a whole new light for the very first time and it scared her. While they had all changed and grown as people over the years, Irene was the only member who stayed pretty much the same. She had already been through the process of coming into adulthood prior to her time as a trainee so she had already been accepted into the industry knowing who she was and what she stood for. Despite this, underneath clouds of maturity, her inner child made Yeri feel as though the eight year age gap between them did not exist. She didn't want Irene to change. She wanted the familiarity and feeling of home she felt whenever she was with her. Now, here she was, changing right in front of them from a woman into someone's mother - someone that wasn't Yeri.

The maknae's swimming eyes watched Irene as she continued eating. A part of her was excited to see a miniature version of her unnie toddling around. She thought of how fun it would be to play with the baby and teach it all of her secrets on how to get under its mommy's skin, but her resentment to the thought of things being not as they were overpowered such fantasies. Surely Irene would have to leave Red Velvet to raise the child if not due to her age or marriage. Yeri had thought about this before, but always brushed it away as it was too painful of a reality. She wanted her group to exist exactly as it was forever despite how unrealistic that dream was.

"Are you keeping it?" She spoke quietly. All eyes slowly drifted back over to Irene, the air feeling quite a bit heavier than before. The woman in question looked down at her lap.

"I'm... not sure." Wendy's eyes flickered between the woman's face and abdomen. Regardless of who the sire was, Irene would never want to inflict harm upon her own child - directly or indirectly. It was against her nature. By her second trimester, she would maternally imprint on the pup making her even more protective over it at which point next to nothing would be able to talk her out of seeing the pregnancy through to delivery. If anything, the fact that one of her members - all of which she loved so dearly - had taken part in the creation of the child made her love it that much more.

"Well there's no way the pup's mine." Joy declared, munching on a bit of broccoli.

Wendy's brows furrowed. "What makes you so sure?"

"First of all, if it was mine, I would've smelled it by now. Instead, all I can smell is a one-way ticket to a migraine. Second of all, unlike you boneheads, I used condoms." Joy replied with a proud, cocky little smirk on her face. "I even used two to be extra safe." All three pairs of eyes widened.

"You mean in one session, right?" The omega spoke with a hopeful waver in her voice, appalled by the shake of the head she received in return.

"Wait, you used two condoms at once!?" Wendy exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah! Pretty smart, huh?"

"Sooyoung-ah, the friction can make them tear!" Joy's fork hovered just outside of her mouth as this new information hit her in the head.

"Wait, really?" A few adamant nods confirmed it. "Fuck."

"Why didn't you just take suppressants, unnie?" Yeri inquired. "With Seulgi unnie, I mean. We already know Sooyoungie isn't all there and Wannie's probably never had sex before."

"Hey!" Wendy shouted in defense, but ultimately decided to pick her battles.

"I was going to, but I ran out. Then Seulgi-ya showed up deep in a rut and it all just fell apart from there."

"Yeah, no kidding." Yeri snorted. "You guys put on quite a show." The omega blushed, ears red as she sank a little in her seat.

"So it's probably hers then, considering she knotted you." Joy stated with a mouth full of broccoli, brandishing her fork in Irene's direction. "Even more so if you were in heat unprotected."

"The pup could be any of ours - aside from Yerim-ah, of course." The eldest beta proclaimed. "Seulgi may be the most probable candidate, but Sooyoungie and I messed up too. We're all culprits here. For now, let's just keep this a secret between us. Unnie has plans on breaking the news to Seulgi in her own time." Joy chewed her food quietly, looking at Irene's middle through the surface of the table.

A quiet knock at the door shifted the mood of the room completely and made Yeri shoot up out of her seat like a rocket launching into orbit.

"Seulgi's back! Seulgi's back! Seulgi's back!" The maknae chanted, dancing her way to the door. Joy followed suit with Wendy making a move to do the same until she realized how far back Irene was hanging. The girl looked worried, holding her arm with her hand while flashing Wendy an unsure glance. The beta simply smiled, reaching for her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze before gently leading her towards the door. "Unnie!" Yeri exclaimed, wrapping Seulgi in a hug as soon as she walked through the door nearly throwing her off balance.

"Hey! Did you miss me?" The charming bear chuckled, reaching over to give approaching Joy a little half-hug. However, there was one person that immediately caught her eye. 

Seulgi looked at Irene with a tight-lipped grin, opening her arms asking for a hug. The woman seemed hesitant, twisting her body at the waist before eventually melting into a warm smile and taking her up on her offer. As Yeri teased the duo for such a sappy exchange, Joy's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her lush lips pursed together with a skeptical glimmer in her eye. Meanwhile, Wendy seemed to be happy they were on good terms again though there was a hint of glossiness in her own eyes.

A foreign yet vaguely familiar scent filled Seulgi's lungs making her eyes close, a dizzy feeling suddenly washing over her. She groaned, pressing a hand to her head but before she could say or do anything about it, Irene released her own sound of discomfort and moved to distance herself from the hug. One of Irene's arms came to rest across her tender chest, hissing at the slight pain she felt there. The alpha cocked her head in confusion but didn't get a chance to pose a few questions before Yeri was helping her drag her things inside. 

The platinum blonde standing by the kitchen island, having witnessed the odd interaction, watched Irene walk over to stand beside her. Her brows furrowed, a pale hand coming to rest over the older woman's heart. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah. Just sensitive." Irene sighed, gently pressing her aching breasts with her fingertips making Wendy blush. 

* * *

Seulgi spent the following days settling herself back into her old routine. After spending so much time living on her own, the alpha had to reacquaint herself with the sounds and smells around her; especially the latter. There was a particular aroma - the same one that greeted her at the door the day she returned - that would reach her senses and send her into fits of dizziness at random. It was strange. 

She had asked Joy for her take on the matter as she was a fellow alpha and her sense of smell could easily rival her own. The younger had claimed to have felt similar sensations; at first being allured by the scent, then getting intense migraines followed by dizzy spells that would sometimes force her to lay down on the floor for a while. What made things even more offsetting were Wendy's similar reactions. Although she was a beta, Wendy had been caught rubbing her nose and complaining about dull headaches that seemed to last for hours on end. There was only one common factor in the equation; Irene. Wherever she was, the fragrance would follow in its highest intensity - practically radiating off of her like heat from the sun. This boggled Seulgi's mind as she clearly remembered the omega's scent being quite pleasant in the past.

Having had enough, Seulgi decided to confront Irene directly on the matter.

Irene had just gotten out of a shower, reaching for the door knob to her bedroom when Seulgi stopped her in the middle of the hallway. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" She inquired, pointing her thumb in the direction of her room. Irene nodded, following the younger back down the hallway while running a towel through her damp locks. Upon arriving somewhere they could talk in private, Seulgi made sure the door to her room was securely closed behind her, turning back around to face Irene.

"So... how are you feeling?" Seulgi inquired, awkward as ever. "You know... about me?" Irene was quiet for a long time, staring at Seulgi with pursed lips. The bear sighed, mentally kicking herself for all of the trouble she'd brought upon the elder. Although it had already been several days, the duo had yet to speak with one another one-on-one though a big reason for that came in the form of Seulgi's aversion to Irene's new scent. "I understand if you're uncomfortable around me now. I can't really blame you. I just wanted to formally say that I'm sorry." For a moment, Irene continued to stare at Seulgi with a blank expression before her lips slowly quirked up into a little smirk.

"Eh, I'm kinda over you anyway, dumb bear." Seulgi chuckled and bashfully diverted her eyes to the floor. Irene gave the cuddly bear woman a soft smile, happy to be comfortably in her presence again after so many weeks without. "Thanks for going out of your way to fix me."

"I didn't go out of my way, unnie. We may not work well as a couple, but I'll always care about you so it's only natural I'd want you to be free." Seulgi's eyes landed on the bruise nearly covering the older woman's cheek and a look of sheer horror spread across her features. "Did I do that!?" She gasped, brushing raven locks behind Irene's shoulder to get a better look at the damage. "Unnie, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay." Irene chirped, feeling Seulgi's fingers gingerly trail over the darkened skin. "This one wasn't yours. You did mark me up a little, though."

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to." The omega's eyes drank in Seulgi's cuddly features, even as they were drooping into an apologetic sulk.

"You would've known if I didn't like it. Just a little bit." Seulgi blushed beet red, swallowing the lump in her throat. Irene couldn't help but let out a little giggle. "Why are you acting so shy all of a sudden?" Seulgi just placed her hands over her cheeks to hide her blush, squishing them together into an adorable, fish-like pucker. Irene cocked her head and smiled. "It's so funny. You're such a cute little teddy bear but in bed you're a-"

"Hyunnie!" Seulgi whined, slapping Irene's arm as punishment while the girl just laughed. In spite of her embarrassment, Seulgi was happy to hear her unnie's loud cackle again. "I'm glad you could find it in your heart to forgive me. You always were the bigger person." Irene smiled, reaching up to ruffle the taller girl's thick mane like a child.

"I had to. Even when I hate your guts, you'll always be my best friend." The duo embraced in another friendly hug when Seulgi's eyes opened and narrowed as if bothered by something. By now it was standard procedure to hold a hand to her dizzy head every time the scent met her sinuses. However, her hands fell to hold Irene's upper arms instead, gently pushing her away so she could get a good, long look at her. Irene knew what was coming but didn't make any moves to prevent it. Seulgi poked at her belly curiously, chuckling to herself. "I see they've been feeding you well."

"Actually, it's quite the opposite." Seulgi's eyes squinted as her slow little brain tried to figure out the abstract implications behind those words. Irene rolled her eyes, baffled by how anyone could get by with a skull so dense, and lifted her shirt just enough to reveal the little swell. "I'm pregnant, Seulgi-ya." The reaction came with a bit of a delay as usual. Irene patiently waited until Seulgi's eyes slowly widened as big as she had ever seen them as the realization dawned upon her before covering up again. 

"Wh-what!?" She looked down at the omega's torso in a state of shock. "Did I- did we- me, to you?" Irene tried to calm her down, quietly shushing her and rubbing her back. She was prepared for Seulgi to react this way. The girl was never good at commitment from the start, though she had to admit she was always loyal throughout the duration of their relationship -never once batting an eye at someone else. She just didn't like to feel tied down, especially when it came so suddenly. Still, if she was capable of participating in the act of sex, then she should be capable of taking responsibility for whatever could come of that - especially an innocent child. 

As Seulgi's near hyperventilation eased down, she managed to speak somewhat clearly through labored breaths. "Is it mine?"

"Maybe. I don't really know for sure." Irene murmured, looking down at her belly while running a hand over it protectively. "I have my first appointment in a few weeks." Seulgi nodded, visibly trying to process this new atomic bomb of information that had just been dropped on her dumb little noggin. 

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"Everyone's going as of right now. I was hoping we could test you, Sooyoungie, and Seungwan-ah if that's alright with you." 

"Y-yeah, of course." Seulgi breathed, eyes flickering between Irene's face and her little belly hidden beneath her wet tee shirt. It was a lot to take in, but she wanted to take it all in stride. She was beginning to realize that the days of her youth were quickly coming to a close. It was time for her to grow up and act like an adult. She wanted to make it up to Irene, but she also wanted to step up to the plate as both an alpha and a friend. That meant taking care of Irene and the pup she was carrying regardless of who the sire was. "C-can I?" Irene nodded, moving her own hands away so that Seulgi's could shyly rest in their place. Elegant, monolid eyes stared in amazement, her hands gently moving over the smooth surface of the little bump. It wasn't much at the time, but knowing that a young pup - possibly her son or daughter - was growing in her best friend's womb, just underneath her hands, made Seulgi tear up more than she would like to admit.

Noticing the tell-tale signs of the bear's emotional state, Irene flashed her a little smile. "You okay there, champ?"

"Yeah," Seulgi sniffled, turning to wipe her tears before they fell. "Your scent's just really strong these days, you know? You might wanna get that checked out." 

Irene chuckled, but played along to spare a bit of the alpha's pride. "Right."

The room fell into silence for a moment as Seulgi continued to dab away the moisture from her eyes. The tip of her nose had turned cherry red - a clear indicator of whenever Seulgi has cried or was on the verge of doing so. Irene's initial playful smile turned to a frown of concern. She laid a hand on Seulgi's forearm, craning her neck in an attempt to see her dongsaeng's face.

"Seulgi-ya? Are you okay?" The alpha's sleeve fell away to reveal a red, puffy, snotty, crying bear face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm really sorry, Hyunnie." Seulgi managed to croak out through hasty breaths. "I didn't mean to, I- I'm sorry." The omega pulled the younger girl into another hug, nearly crying herself as Seulgi practically bawled over her shoulder. "I really wanna be a good sire." Seulgi sniffled. "Even if the baby's not mine, I wanna be there for you this time and help you, I just don't really know how yet but I-"

"Okay." Irene cooed while gently petting Seulgi's coarse head of hair, cutting her off before she rambled on into a tangent. "Let's just take this one day at a time. Okay?" She felt Seulgi's head nod against her shoulder. When she was ready to separate, Irene released her arms from around Seulgi's neck, handing her a tissue she grabbed from the box on Seulgi's vanity.

"Thanks." Seulgi sniffled, drying her eyes one last time.

"You know, you actually handled that a lot better than I expected."

"Really?" Seulgi chuckled. "What were you expecting?"

"World War III." The alpha clicked her tongue and rolled her blood-shot eyes, Irene giggling in spite of the other girl's current state.

"I meant what I said, though." Seulgi stated while tossing the wad of used tissue into the trash. "I want to help you in any way I can, so if you need anything, give me a shout. I'll do my best to get it to you." Irene nodded, flashing the girl a little smile as Seulgi moved to let her leave. As she was pulling the door closed behind her, Irene peeked back around the corner.

"Hey!" Seulgi poked her head out, looking at the older woman expectantly. "Thanks."

Seulgi furrowed her brows in confusion, unsure of what Irene could possibly be thanking her for. "For what?"

"For being so mature about this... And for being a dumb, dorky bear." Seulgi shook her head with a laugh, finally closing the door as Irene walked off towards her own room for the night. For a moment, she just stood in thought with her hands sunk deep in the pockets of her sweatpants. If she was being honest with herself, she was just as surprised by her own reaction as Irene was. Maybe she had grown up a little. 

Her eyes scanned her collection of Polaroid photos mounted on the wall, smiling fondly at one she took with Irene during their promotions for Red Flavor. How had they all grown up so fast? It seemed like just yesterday Yeri had been added to the group and now another new addition was on its way. Accepting the state of things would take some time, but Seulgi was open to the idea of turning over a new leaf. Soon they would be welcoming a new pup into the world and Seulgi couldn't be more thrilled... or terrified. 


	14. XIV

With Seulgi finally back in action, Red Velvet's usual schedules would be resuming beginning with a fansign event at Everland. The girls were thrilled - happy to take an opportunity to meet fans one-on-one over prerecordings and radio shows any day. However, they were all a little antsy though none more so than Irene. Hundreds of cameras would be focused on her at all times, recording her every move, meaning there was a high risk of exposing herself to the public if she wasn't careful. At least there would be a table to provide some coverage, but she must remain vigilant nonetheless. 

To calm her nerves and raging hormones, Irene found solace in spending a little time with Joy while she got ready for the day. They engaged in small talk - Irene seated on the bed with Joy floating around the room mid-conversation. The omega was glad she came clean when she did. Otherwise, she may have felt too anxious to relax and pay her members little visits due to the fear of the anvil that was hanging over her head. Now she had their full support despite the gnawing feeling of fear in the back of their minds.

"It's a good thing you got pregnant in the colder months." The taller raven said while inspecting her choice of clothing in the mirror. "It's a lot easier to cover up in warm sweaters and coats."

"Yes, but I'll be spending the better half of my second trimester in the heat of summer." Irene groaned, flopping back on the bed making Joy chuckle.

"Look on the bright side," She said, playfully swatting at Irene with a top that didn't make the cut. "At least your third will be in the fall. By then it'll cool off so you won't be so uncomfortable."

"I guess." Irene looked up at Joy's ceiling fan whirling above her head. If her calculations were correct, she would be giving birth in late September, early October - just after Joy's birthday. She hoped and prayed the two wouldn't overlap as the alpha had always been very greedy when it came to sharing the spotlight - particularly on her birthday. Joy was a queen that liked to be worshipped, though she would probably make an exception just this once if it meant the pup came into the world happy and healthy. 

Irene sat up, stretching her arms when her hand hit something hard buried under Joy's blanket.

"Sooyoung-ah." With her arms still busy tying her hair up in a bun, Joy turned around and her heart sank to the soles of her feet. Irene was seated on her bed, examining her own collar that Joy had neglected to return to its proper place before she could notice it was missing. 

"Unnie, it's not what you think."

"Why do you have this?" Irene murmured, showing Joy the collar for emphasis. There was a shimmer of hurt, confusion, and betrayal in her eyes - a look the younger hated to see pointed directly at her.

"I was going to put it back! I was just borrowing it to make a point to Seulgi unnie!"

Her words didn't seem to mend the situation at all. If anything, they just made it worse. "You used _this_ just to prove a point?" 

"I mean..." Having heard enough, Irene got up to leave. "Unnie, wait!"

"We'll talk about this later. Right now, I can't even bear to look at you." With that, Irene left the room, pulling the door closed firmly behind her.

Joy sighed quietly to herself, bathing in feelings of guilt and shame. In the heat of the moment she had forgotten just how degrading and painful such a simple object was in the eyes of her leader. How could she? It was kept hidden so well for a reason and yet she retrieved it and used it as ammunition without giving it a second thought all because she was mad at Seulgi for being just as careless. In truth, she could never truly understand why Irene felt the way she did about her collar, but the least she could do was respect her enough to try. 

While the omegan branch of the senate fought hard against the alphan branch to ban the propitiation of omegan kind, some regions managed to bypass the law under cultural clauses - Daegu being one of them. And while wearing a collar to portray submission and dehumanization was already bad as it was, it was a practice most notorious in the black market for omegan breeding trade. For this reason, 'breeder' became a derogatory slur often used against unmated but sexually active omegas, though it often bled over into those who refused to wear collars as well. The value of an omega was believed to only equal the price of their collar - a price tag of sorts - and Joy had unintentionally rubbed it in Irene's face.

'Breeder' was a term netizens loved to use against Irene on a regular basis, bashing her for choosing a career that used to be available only to alphas and betas alone. She had become a sacrificial lamb of sorts - the first omega brave enough to even try out for an audition, let alone pass. The omegan community was quick to rally around her, singing her praises as the one who broke free from the boxes their kind had been crammed in the moment they presented. However, omegas were the meek and silent sort. While the community as a whole were quite fond of Irene, they never came to her defense when dignified alphas and the occasional opinionated beta came for her throat. These were the scummiest of sort - wishing the worst possible fates upon Irene from death to being sold into sexual slavery. Yet despite all of this, Joy was too hot-headed in the spur of the moment to realize the hidden messages she would be sending Irene after what she had done. 

Granted, in spite of Joy's obvious mistake, Irene was rather sensitive these days due to her sudden fluctuations in hormones. Sometimes she would break into spells of weepiness towards subject matter that would have never made her bat an eye before, others she would combust into fits of rage when simple mistakes were made. With this in mind, the members knew they would be walking on eggshells over the next several months and tried not to say anything that could potentially upset her. However, the biggest challenge came with remaining level-headed when Irene could not. Whenever she would cry or burst into fits of rage, the others tried their best to bite their tongue so as to not make matters worse which was much easier said than done. Seulgi and Wendy had proven to be the best at this, never taking Irene's sometimes harsh words to heart. Instead, they would speak softly and get her what she needed to calm her down - usually food or a warm hug. 

Joy's back fell against the bed, still warm from Irene's presence, with a soft grunt. She wanted to pursue the older woman and apologize, but she figured Irene would want some space until after the fansign. Maybe she could make amends by cooking for her? No, that was Wendy's method. As she contemplated how she should prove her repentance to Irene, her phone vibrated in her pocket as her cue to go. With a heavy sigh, she lifted herself back to her feet and made her way out into the living room to wait for her members.

* * *

Just when Irene thought she had made it through a whole day without morning sickness, she was proven so very very wrong. In the early hours of the morning, just a few hours before the sun was due to peek out over the horizon, Irene was back in the bathroom, practically hugging the toilet like it was her best friend (which at this point, it practically was.) She figured her body had just stockpiled all of her tummy troubles to get her through the day then made her pay her debts in full... plus some.

During what must have been her ninth recovery period, Irene jumped at the feeling of cold hands combing through her hair, pulling it back into a makeshift pony tail. She glanced behind her and was surprised to find a drowsy-looking Joy down on her knees wearing a blank expression with a hand full of raven locks. A little hint of a smile graced the woman's plump lips and effectively calmed the older.

"Morning." She rasped with an airy chuckle, rubbing some sleep from her eye.

"Sorry if I woke you." Irene croaked in response, throat raspy and burning due to stomach acids. "Go back to sleep."

"I think I'll stay." Another round of nausea struck Irene's system like a truck on a freeway. She ducked her head back into the toilet bowl and let each wave come as it may. Meanwhile, Joy did her best not to feel sick herself. She turned her head as subtly as she could while rubbing comforting circles over Irene's back. Eventually Irene's head popped up again and with a woozy groan, she reached for some toilet paper to wipe her mouth off with. "Do you need anything? Water? Ginger ale?" Irene shook her head, resting it in her hand.

"I'm fine, thank you." Joy pursed her lips and occupied herself by gently easing her fingers through her unnie's silky hair, detangling it in the process. When she felt safe enough to distance herself away from the toilet bowl, Irene breathed, rubbing a hand over her little pot belly. "God, I can't wait for these first three months to be over." She groaned receiving a little chuckle from Joy. The younger's eyes glanced down at her unnie's hand and watched it move, deep in thought. Irene noticed this and gazed back at her with a pondering look on her face. "Sooyoung-ah?" Her voice immediately snapped Joy out of her little day dream.

"Sorry, just thinking I guess." 

"A penny for your thoughts?" Joy chuckled, eyes sparing another glance down at her unnie's stomach. Irene seemed to catch on and wore a little smile. "Do you want to feel?" The young alpha's face flushed but she nodded, allowing Irene's hand to guide hers to land on her little swell. 

"It's so cute!" Joy breathed in awe. "Has he moved yet?" 

"Probably not for another few weeks." She nodded, eyes fixed on her hand running over the surface of Irene's oversized sleep shirt. The bump would hardly be noticeable unless it was touched, but it had certainly grown nonetheless. Irene only had about another week and a half left in her first trimester - after which she would be pretty much out of the woods for a miscarriage. Joy had made it a point to keep her distance for a while so as to not get too attached to the baby in case something awful happened, but as the weeks flew by and the pup grew stronger, she had slowly allowed herself to get more acquainted with it. This would be the first time Joy had even come close to touching the omega's stomach since she conceived and the moment was more than magical for her.

"It's warm."

Irene chuckled. "It's the only part of me that ever feels warm these days." Her words received a smile, but it was relatively short lived.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday." Joy murmured quietly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I was just so mad at unnie for imprinting on you, but I guess I wasn't much of a saint either"

"It's alright." Irene sighed, resting her head back against the wall in a relaxed state while Joy continued gently rubbing her belly. "I know I haven't been the easiest person to get along with lately." The room fell silent for a moment, Joy mulling over the questions she so desperately wanted to ask the omega. She figured there was no harm in asking as long as she was careful with her approach.

"Unnie?" Irene hummed, letting her head roll to the side slightly. "Can I ask why your collar..."

"It makes me someone's possession - an object with a price tag." Irene explained, having assembled the younger's inquiry herself in the inner workings of her mind. "Even when I was just a pup myself, people would begin to wonder about my egg count or if I would someday present again as a prime omega. Both of those would significantly raise my maternal value making me suitable to mate prime alphas in the highest classes. My collar is a symbol of my worth so every time I see it I feel belittled inside." Joy's features fell, feeling guilty for making Irene feel less than human. "There's a belief in modern bongwan classes; more heirs, more fortune. Omegas are investments. We're seen as nothing more than walking incubators - those of us able to bear litters even more so."

"Can you?" Joy inquired out of curiosity.

"I was never tested. Regardless, prime omegas are nearly extinct so I'm doubtful. It's a little late for me to present as one anyway." As the duo sat in comfortable silence, the sun began to peek in through the blinds covering the little window above the toilet. "I guess I should brush my teeth." Irene grunted as she moved to get on her feet with required a little more effort than she was used to. Luckily the younger was there to pull her up the rest of the way.

"Don't brush just yet or the acid will stick. Besides, you never know when the urge could hit you again." Instead, Joy handed Irene a glass so she could swish and spit into the sink. 

"Thanks." Irene breathed in a voice still gruff from vomiting. Joy's eyes absently inspected her unnie's middle, already swollen to the point where her bump was barely poking through the front of her large knit sweaters that once appeared to swallow her tiny frame. 

"Don't mention it."


	15. XV

On the day of Irene's first ultrasound, the members were understandably giddy. Soon they would know who the sire of Irene's baby was and finally lay that mystery down to rest. They handled their nerves in their own individual ways; Wendy squeezing Irene's hand from her station beside the examination table, Seulgi playing with the doctor's gadgets, Joy looking at all of the diagrams hanging on the walls, and last but not least, Yeri spinning around in the stool next to the doctor's desk until she made herself dizzy.

Joy gazed up at the posters with intrigue, studying one with every possible dynamic combination listed in symbols and color codes. Although they weren't sure who the little one's paternal figure was just yet, she was curious to see how they could present in the distant future.

'A + 'Ω = 'A, A, 'Ω, or Ω

'A + Ω = A 

'A + β = A

A + 'Ω = A or Ω

A + Ω = A or Ω

A + β = A or β

β + 'Ω = β or Ω

β + Ω = β

β + β = β

A tiny smile graced Joy's plump lips at the thought of having an omega son or daughter. They would be her little treasure; her precious little baby to hold and protect from the big, bad world outside. Of course she would love her child regardless of dynamic, but a part of her was hoping for a little omega girl - just like Irene. That is, assuming the pup would even be hers to begin with. The alpha turned around, eyes narrowing into judgmental slits as Seulgi continued exploring everything in the doctor's office.

"Cool!" Seulgi cooed in wonder, picking up an interactive model of an omega's womb during pregnancy. However, being the clumsy bear she is, she had to fumble to keep it from slipping through her butter fingers and falling to the floor.

"Stop touching everything! Before you break something!" Irene hissed quietly, peeking over herself from her laid back position. The alpha gave a little nod of apology, gently placing the object back on the desk before taking a few steps away from it for good measure. Mere moments later, the doctor waltzed in with a pearly white smile.

"I take it you're Miss Bae Joohyun?" Irene gave a shy nod, returning his friendly offer for a hand shake. "My name is Dr. Song. I reckon by the end of these next few months, we'll be the best of friends." He said warmly, turning for a moment to set up his equipment. "I understand you're in a bit of a messy situation, but have no fear. I've seen some things that are a whole lot worse, trust me. Just be comfortable and things will flow as smooth as silk, alright?" Irene nodded, appreciating Wendy's little hand squeeze and funny face to cheer her up. "I assume you want everyone in the room during the ultrasound?"

"Yes please." The doctor nodded, proceeding to lift Irene's shirt just enough to expose her swell. At this point, none of the members had seen her bare stomach since their own special nights in bed with her. It had certainly changed, no longer the flat, pale expanse of muscle it once was. Instead, a little hill the size of a small strainer proudly made itself known. 

"Fair warning; the gel is a little cold." As if on cue, Irene hissed at the chilly sensation, falling back into a more relaxed state once her warm skin adjusted to the temperature. The doctor hummed a merry little tune, running the wand over Irene's abdomen while staring at the monitor on the hunt for any signs of life. When he finally struck gold he smiled and adjusted the screen so everyone in the room could see. "There we are!" He declared while circling the black and white figure of a tiny human. "A healthy baby girl." Seulgi, Joy, and Yeri crowded around the monitor, practically shoving each other out of the way for a better view - a sight that made both Wendy and Irene laugh.

The wand carried on its journey before reaching another region of Irene's stomach, pausing for a moment. Noticing the sudden drop in energy, Irene looked up at the doctor - his face unreadable as he gazed at the monitor in silence.

"Say, you didn't happen to mention being a _prime_ omega earlier, did you?" Irene's stomach did a flip and jumped up to her throat.

"N-no, sir." Four other pairs of eyes widened considerably, flickering between Irene, the ultrasound, and the doctor. 

"Well today is just a day for new discoveries, isn't it?" He chuckled.

The evil maknae seized the opportunity to harass Seulgi, jabbing at her arm with her sharp elbow. "How does it feel knowing you let a _prime_ get away?" Seulgi shot her a glare, jerking her arm away.

"I'm just fine, thanks for checking." She grumbled. "She's our friend, not a brood mare."

The doctor did one last round to check and see if his suspicions were correct. A broad, toothy grin nearly blinded Joy and Seulgi - a grin that would make the Cheshire cat wet himself out of jealousy. "Congratulations, Miss Bae! It appears you're carrying your first litter!" The room fell into a stagnant and rather awkward silence save for Seulgi's sudden round of hyperventilation. She desperately slapped Yeri for assistance, the younger turning to help her deepen her shallow breaths. Meanwhile, Irene lay quiet - staring at the monitor, her knuckles turning white as they held Wendy's hand in a vise grip.

"Unnie?" Wendy whispered from over her shoulder. However, her soft, soothing voice garnered no reaction.

"I understand it can be a bit of a shock at first." Dr. Song quietly spoke having noticed Irene's mental freeze. "I'll give you a moment if you'd like-"

"It's fine." Irene murmured, eyes never leaving the screen. "Please, carry on." The doctor nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Well, since you are in fact a prime, we would like to run a paternity test while you're here for safety reasons." Irene nodded. Dr. Song looked to Wendy with a request. "Can I ask you to keep her distracted while I take a blood sample from the pups' placentas? It won't touch the them, it's just that some omegas, especially primes, can get pretty aggressive if I get too close." Wendy nodded as he got up to fetch the materials he needed to proceed. She walked around the side of the table, taking a seat on it beside Irene. The action finally caught her attention compelling her to glance away from the pups highlighted on the screen. Joy, Seulgi, and Yeri moved to join them, smiling down at the rather bewildered omega trapped in a state of shock.

"It's a lot, huh?" Irene nodded, head falling into Wendy's hand caressing her cheek. 

"I'll have the three potential sires go two doors down. A nurse will take some DNA samples for you there."

"Um, what about me?" Wendy inquired.

The doctor glanced over at Yeri, pointing at her with his pen. "Do you need to be tested?" The maknae shook her head. "Then how about you stay and Miss Son can go with the others." The trio flashed Irene a parting good-luck smile over their shoulders, closing the door behind them. The now prime omega quirked a humored brow when Yeri popped up in front of her with a snickering smile, hands holding the sides of her gravid belly. 

"Dude, you're gonna get so big." She snorted taking a well-earned and offended blow to the arm. "Ouch!"

"That's what you get for being a brat." Her soft chuckles were cut short by a look of surprise followed by one of anger. Upon feeling the extractor creeping up towards her cervix, Irene suddenly craned her neck to peek around Yeri. Catching on to what the older was trying to do, Yeri moved to block her view of the doctor and held her legs down so she couldn't kick him in defense. 

"Unnie, relax. He's not gonna hurt the pups." Irene's teeth remained clenched as she glared down at the doctor with a sinister dullness in her eyes.

"All done!" Dr. Song chirped, giving the woman a reassuring pat. "Sorry, mama. Everything looks good. I'll just run these down to the lab and be back with you shortly."

"Thanks, doc!" The doctor shot Yeri a pair of finger guns on his way out the door. The maknae sighed, tilting her head a little in thought. "I like that guy's style." She turned around and gave Irene another teasing glance. "You looked like you were about ready to kick him where the sun never shines." The older rolled her eyes, rubbing her middle protectively. Yeri simply shut up and watched for a moment, trying to wrap her head around things herself. "You're a prime, unnie." Irene nodded. "And four pups... I might have to go out and buy some duct tape to hold you together." She giggled, Irene sighing in exasperation at such a crude remark.

The door creaked open as the other three came back into the room, Seulgi throwing them a smooth wave. "Yo." 

"How'd it go?" Wendy inquired with a cheerful smile.

"Unnie tried to kick him in the balls!"

"Ya! Kim Yerim!" Irene griped, slapping the maknae in the arm again.

Seulgi chuckled to herself, occupying the same spot along the far wall beside Joy and Wendy. "You never did like men, huh, unnie?" As Irene opened her mouth to rebuttal, Dr. Song returned with a clipboard in hand.

"That was quick." Yerim stated like it wasn't obvious.

"The results came back much clearer than expected." He said, plopping down in the squeaky stool beside Irene. "You can sit up now, Miss Bae. It's time to do some housekeeping." Yeri helped her up, patting her leg gently while everyone in the room waited for him to speak. "Well well well, it seems we have _two_ primes in our midst." The doctor flashed Seulgi a small smile sending her into a void of deep, dark self reflection.

"Her too!? I thought primes were supposed to be rare!"

"They are." Dr. Song chuckled. "It's purely a matter of coincidence." He glanced down at the spreadsheet compiled of each potential sire's DNA and scratched his head. "Our results show that the pups belong to three different sires - a phenomenon known as superfecundation that only takes place in prime omegas. This is what allows their bodies to carry and adapt to accommodate litters. It’s most likely Miss Bae's ovaries released four eggs during ovulation in heat. This is normal for primes as usually they'll release two to four ovum while a normal omega only releases one. Sperm can live inside of a breedy omega for about a week at most, so it's likely several thousand camped out and waited to get lucky. All four eggs were fertilized, but the fourth has since been absorbed by its twin early on meaning my speculations were incorrect. There are actually only three pups inside of you right now." He began to poke and prod gently at Irene’s stomach while the members could only sit in perpetual shock.

Wendy drummed her fingers on her arm in thought. "But only one of us knotted her." A lone alpha ducked her head and adjusted her stance nervously.

"While omegas are known as the Aphrodite Dynamic, prime omegas are the Hera Dynamic. Even on suppressants, a prime omega's body is at its most fertile during heat. This along with their ability to carry multiple young in a single gestation period is what makes them so desirable when it comes to bulk breeding and maintaining good pedigrees." He reached for his stethoscope, moving the knob of it over the surface of Irene's belly. When he heard a healthy heartbeat, he smiled and moved on to the next pup's location. "Suppressants can only reduce the symptoms and mask her scent, not alter her entire reproductive cycle. Knotting only increases the chances of pregnancy in a regular omega, but in prime omegas it insures it. If that weren't the case, omegas would be unable to reproduce with betas at all."

"So none of us stood a chance from the start." The doctor nodded sending Joy into an internal spiral of thoughts and emotions right beside Seulgi.

"Would you like to meet them?" He was answered by a frenzy of eager nods. Dr. Song reached for red, black, and blue markers, looking at Irene for permission. "May I mark on you, Miss Bae?" Irene nodded, sliding her hands away to rest on the thin paper she had been sitting on. He drew three outlines - one for each pup's current position in their mother's womb. Next, he reached for the wand and allowed each pup's heartbeat to carry out through the speakers attached to the monitor. "This is baby A, baby B, and baby C." He said, pointing from just below Irene's diaphragm to her lower right followed by her lower left. "Baby A matches Miss Son's code. We believe it will be the runt as it is significantly smaller than its siblings. Its still too early to tell the gender." His marker moved to the next spot, tickling Irene and making her giggle a bit. "Baby B belongs to Miss Park. There's not much I can say about her other than the fact that she appears to be a clean bill of health. You should be very proud." Joy smiled, reaching over to rub the kidney bean-shaped graffiti on her unnie's stomach while receiving a happy smile from Wendy. "And last but not least, Baby C is Miss Kang's. We believe he's a boy, but he seems to be very shy about letting us know today so hopefully we'll be able to confirm that for you during your next visit." Seulgi shyly poked Irene's stomach, smiling with watery eyes at the little white mark the pressure left in its wake.

"If the alphas are having trouble with taking in the pups' scents, try focusing on the one most similar to yours. That'll be your own pup's individual scent and your symptoms should let up. You may also grow a bit more hostile towards those who may try to get near her - especially you, Miss Kang. You should most definitely curb those instincts as best you can." Seulgi appeared to be taken aback by the statement, but nodded in understanding. "Now then, as you go deeper into your second trimester, Miss Bae, you may get a sudden boost in libido. This is normal, though I do recommend still using protection if you should decide to engage in any sort of sexual activities between now and delivery. It's not uncommon for primes to get what we like to call 'encore heats' mid-pregnancy so unless you want any more pups added to your brood, I'd suggest you play it safe."

Wendy leaned over to whisper in Joy's ear. "That means no double bagging." The alpha gave her a sarcastic face before returning her attention to the doctor's lecture.

As the members prepared to go leave, Seulgi hung back and pulled the doctor aside once her members were out of ear-shot. A few things had been eating her up ever since they arrived that morning and she figured there was no one better to run her concerns by than a trained professional. Her eyes glanced around the man to make sure no one could over hear before speaking.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but there must be some sort of mistake. Aren't all prime alphas male?" The doctor put on a friendly smile.

"You fall into a minority within a minority, Miss Kang. Female prime alphas make up less that 4% of the population in the same way male prime omegas only make up 1%. Scarce, but not impossible." As he made a move to walk away, Seulgi quickly grabbed him by the arm. 

"Wait! Just... one more thing." The doctor lifted his brows expectantly. "She and I used to be in a relationship, but it failed. I don't think we feel anything towards each other romantically anymore, but I still find myself wanting to..."

"Have sex with her?" Seulgi nodded, face red with shame. Dr. Song just chuckled, clicking his pen. "I can't really blame you. Miss Bae is a pretty girl." The alpha shot him a little defensive glare, unsure of how she should feel about such a statement. "You're both primes - the mother and father dynamics. Even if there's no hope for a committed relationship, there will always be raw sexual chemistry bubbling under the surface. That has very little to do with who you are as people and more to do with pure instinctual desire. If you add the fact that she is the mother of your pup into the equation, it is clear to see why you would feel that way towards her." Seulgi quirked her lips, looking down at her feet while awkwardly shuffling them over the white, laminate floor tiles.

"I think it would help to sit her down and talk about it. Who knows? Maybe she would be willing to keep things casual if it means you'll both be satisfied. I wasn't kidding when I said her sex drive will increase in the coming weeks. In fact, seeing as how she hasn't presented a second time yet, she'll probably be due for one soon. I think it would be good for her to have a consistent partner she can work off a bit of that edge with."

"It's just that... every time I go to bed with her, I get violent." Seulgi muttered with her voice at its lowest decibel. "Last time we did it I accidentally imprinted on her. She could hardly walk and I marked her up pretty badly. I don't want to put her through that again." Dr. Song stood back to his full height with a thoughtful inhale, looking off into the distance to gather his expertise. 

"Well, does she enjoy rougher sex?"

"I mean, she says she does..."

"Most prime omegas love to be marked and handled roughly in bed - it's a part of the psychological process they go through during conception. They have a sort of duality to them. They're strong but meek, independent but dependent, loud but quiet. The same can be applied in the bedroom. It's all about reading the signals she sends you. If her kisses are slow and sweet, she wants to make love. If they're hungry and playful, she wants to be dominated. All of her communication is in her body language. In your case, it'll probably be the latter as tender love making is usually saved only for their mate. If you both decide to initiate a strictly sexual relationship, listen to her. Don't be afraid to get a bit rough if that's what she likes." 

"Thanks. I'll try that." The man smiled and gave the shorter woman's head a pat before walking off down the long hallway with Seulgi doing the same in the opposite direction. About halfway down, he quickly spun on his heels and called after her making her ears burn. 

"Hey! Just don't forget the condoms this time! I recommend the ribbed kind!" 


	16. XVI

"Seulgi-ya!" Irene whined in dismay, fussing with the zipper on the back of her dress.

"What is it, unnie?"

"Can you come help me?" Seulgi appeared in the doorway by her leader's request and assessed the situation; Irene standing in front of the mirror with an adorably frustrated pout on her face while her arms struggled to reach far enough behind her. She zipped Irene up, though not without noticing the subtle baby bump protruding from the front.

"Are you sure this dress is a good pick?" Seulgi inquired as gently as she could, rubbing Irene's upper arms. 

"It's the one the stylist unnies picked out for me. I know it doesn't really fit anymore, but I don't have much choice. I won't have time to change again before I have to meet Bogum tonight." The alpha's brows furrowed under the weight of concern.

"Why are you crying?" Confused herself, Irene dabbed at her cheeks and sure enough there were trails of warm tears there.

"I-I don't know." She breathed in genuine bewilderment. 

"It's probably just the baby brain then." Seulgi chuckled warmly, dusting off the shoulders of the dress. "We'll try to block your bump as best we can whenever cameras are around." Seulgi noticed Irene's collar sitting on the bed through the reflection in the mirror. The omega saw where the younger's eyes had drifted and awkwardly cleared her throat, turning around to retrieve the dreaded object.

"I have to."

"I know." Seulgi murmured with a forlorn and empathetic expression. "Do you want help?"

"I'd rather put it on myself." Irene sighed, raising a hand to halt Seulgi's advances to assist her. "Thanks for zipping me up." The omega turned her back towards Seulgi, fiddling with the collar in her hands before lifting it to its proper place of rest. The alpha took that as her cue to leave. As she did so, she could see the buckle clasping behind Irene's elegant neck before the door clicked closed, separating her from Irene. 

It was a shame, really. Whenever they attended certain awards shows or banquets Irene was required to wear her collar despite the internal trauma it caused. She always looked so sad wearing it and with good reason. It was humiliating and degrading making Irene feel like she was beneath everyone around her. It made it virtually impossible for her to make friends in the industry. It's not like there were a lot of other omegas hanging around either.

Every time an interviewer or host would ask about other idols the members were close to, Irene would usually say Solar or Jennie even though she had only spoken to them on occasion; Solar because they were leaders of similar ages and Jennie because she had approached Irene first. Neither seemed to pay the social hierarchy much mind and treated Irene with all of the warmth and kindness she valued, but in spite of this, they were not necessarily friends due to conflicting schedules. Still, it was nice to know that not everyone in the world was a pompous, prideful pain in the ass.

"Red Velvet! Assemble!" Yeri called from the kitchen, standing with a grumpy morning Joy scrolling through her phone unbothered. Meanwhile, Wendy stood in front of the refrigerator - smiling at Irene's sonogram off in her own little world. She couldn't see much of the babies' forms, but they were there nonetheless and it made the beta's heart swell. She was ready to hold them, meet them, learn their names and personalities - not to mention spoil them rotten. They already had Wendy's heart wrapped around their little fingers and she wouldn't have it any other way. 

A moment of silence fell upon the group when their leader entered, a far-away look in her eyes aimed directly at the floor. The collar around her neck flashed under the morning sunlight seeping in through the yonder window only drawing even more attention to itself. She looked miserable. Not only was she worried about hiding her current state from the public, but now she had to do so feeling like someone's house pet. At least it would keep wandering eyes away from her middle.

Wendy's eyes were swimming with pity for the poor girl. "Unnie-"

"Can we just go?" Irene sighed in frustration, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress to hide their tremors. Taking the hint, Wendy nodded, swinging the door open so the others could walk through. As Irene passed her by, bringing up the rear, Wendy pulled her aside.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay? You should take it off if you're not comfortable." Wendy cooed with concern, watching as the other three wandered off down the hallway to wait for the elevator.

"I'll be fine. I have to anyway. My parents arranged a 'date' for me with Bogum tonight." It took every ounce of will power in the beta's tiny body to keep her eyes from rolling. Instead, she placed a hand on Irene's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze of encouragement.

"Well, don't worry about the kiddos, okay? We've got that covered. Just try to keep your composure and you'll be fine." She looked at her hand on Irene's shoulder in a moment of thought. "If you want, I could bake you something when you get back. As a little reward." Irene smiled and nodded, meeting Wendy halfway for a warm hug.

"Hey! This elevator can't wait forever!" Yeri yelled with her foot jammed between the doors to trip the sensor keeping them open, her loud voice receiving a scolding hush from Wendy. She turned to Irene with a soft grin, opening her elbow to link arms like a gentleman at a galla.

"Shall we?" Irene covered her shy giggle with her hand, looping her other arm through the hole.

"We shall."

* * *

Irene was more than thankful for her members' efforts to keep her gravid body hidden from view. Whenever a photographer would ask for a group photo, Wendy and Yeri would crouch on their knees successfully shielding their leader's abdomen from view. Of course, many audiences and perverted photographers didn't appreciate this, demanding that the others move away so they could get a better shot of Irene's dress, but their pleas were left unmet. 

In spite of her dongsaengs' sweet and valiant efforts, a more concerning issue arose. While their heads could hide Irene's stomach, they just weren't enough to save her wider hips or larger cup size. Comments on her weight followed Irene throughout the day, harshly drilling their negative words into her conscience. Wendy and Joy sympathized the most with her in this regard. As their bodies tended to cling on to calories the most out of the five, they had been in her shoes more than once before. They made it a point to reassure their beautiful leader any chance they could in the same way she would whenever the roles were reversed. However, words weren't enough to save Irene from herself.

When they all sat down for lunch, Irene claimed she wasn't hungry. Instead, she sat on the black leather couch in the corner of the dressing room and waited for the stage manager to come collect them. Every member expressed their concern through edible offerings only to get shut down every time. She tried to deny and hide the fact that her stomach was growling, but it was rather obvious and even more worrisome for her members. Wendy, who had been seated on the floor nearby munching on a salad, decided to voice her opinions.

"You need to eat something, Hyunnie. You can't keep running on an empty tank - especially with three growing babies to feed." Irene's stubbornness wavered for a moment, but the harsh comments from the masses she received earlier ate away at her willingness to see the underlying issues with continuing to starve herself. She had already been feeling self conscience about her growing form so the treatment from the public was only the icing on her cake of misery and low self esteem. She didn't intend to deprive her pups of the nutrients they needed, but she just couldn't bring herself to lift a morsel to her mouth without feeling like a beached whale.

"Here, unnie." Seulgi walked over with a piece of meat pinched between her chopsticks, holding her hand underneath it in case it should slip. She held it up to Irene's lips in waiting only to be rudely declined. The prime jerked her head away on the verge of tears but Seulgi was having none of it. Clearly she needed to be more tactful in her approach. "You're old." Irene opened her mouth to angrily retaliate, but instead found a piece of meat resting on her tongue. Seulgi wore her signature eye-smile, gently holding the woman's mouth closed so she couldn't spit it out, making sure she chewed and swallowed before walking away.

Wendy shot Seulgi a smile though her mouth was full of lettuce. Her eyes glanced back over to Irene noticing how humiliated she looked after the whole ordeal. It was so strange to think even the heavenly goddess Irene could ever think so little of her appearance. Even by a pregnant woman's standards she was by no means large yet in her eyes, the slight increase in surplus storage made her massive. Wendy felt for her, she really did, but there was no excuse for putting the health of their children at risk because of a few rude comments. She reached over the table and gave Irene's knee a pat.

"Don't feel so down on yourself, unnie. It's not worth it." She murmured with the utmost sincerity. "You're just as beautiful as you were five years ago and you'll still be just as gorgeous six months from now. If you're hungry, eat. I think I have a few snacks in my bag if you want them." Irene sniffled, fiddling with her fingers in her lap.

"No worries, I got you." Joy got up and handed Irene the other half of her sub sandwich, flashing her a friendly wink before returning to her seat. She looked down at it unsurely, but relented and took a little bite making the others smile in relief.

* * *

That evening, Irene arrived at the quaint cafe where she was told to meet Bogum. She took a good look around, patrons chatting or typing away on their laptops under the charming atmosphere of soft music and dim lighting. A part of her was hoping Bogum wouldn't arrive so she could go home and rest, but a waving hand on the other side of the room managed to catch her eye. Bogum flashed her a little smile, standing and bowing politely before pulling out the chair across from his own for her to sit. Irene murmured a thank you, taking a seat while Bogum returned to his.

"It's nice to see you again, Joohyun-ssi. I'm sorry the circumstances couldn't have been more casual."

"It's fine." Irene sighed. The corners of his lips quirked up though he hid them discreetly behind his hands.

"So how have things been going for you? I hear you're wrapping up promotions." Irene nodded. 

"Things have been going well career-wise."

Bogum gave his head a tilt. "Not so much in your personal life?" Irene looked down at her lap and shook her head, tucking a bit of raven hair behind her ear.

The waitress arrived with a coffee for Bogum and a hot chocolate for Irene, bowing with a polite business smile before walking away.

"I heard you don't like coffee so I hope this will suffice."

"Yes, thank you." Irene wrapped her chilled hands around the warm mug and lifted to her lips, gently blowing on it until it was cool enough to drink. The man's eyes flickered up and down, inspecting the woman discreetly. His eyes landed on her collar which made him frown. "So. You're pregnant." Irene's eyes widened in terror. She began stuttering out a panicked and jumbled reply when Bogum chuckled, reaching out to gently give her hand a pat. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I'm not trying to make myself your enemy here." Irene breathed a little sigh of relief, leaning back in her chair. 

Regaining her composure, Irene meekly spoke with her eyes peeking through long lashes. "How did you know?"

"I saw when you walked in." He murmured quietly while taking a sip from his own mug. "That, and I can smell it on you though I am confused by that. Is my nose finally failing on me?" He chuckled.

"They're triplets," She spoke, seeing no point in lying any longer. "Each by a different sire." Bogum's eyes widened in surprise, though there was no judgment in them. Instead he nodded his head, running his thumbs over the smooth sides of the ceramic mug.

"And are you happy with that?" Irene thought about it for a moment them cheerfully nodded her head. "As your supposed fiance, I can't say I would be too pleased. Luckily I'm not." Irene's shapely brows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean? Isn't that why my parents sent you here?"

"Yes, but my own parents played a part in this as well. I came here as a formality and to tell you my circumstances. The truth of the matter is, I'm already seeing someone privately and I can only assume you are too. I don't want to be a part of this engagement any more than you do," He quickly glanced over the rim of his coffee cup. "No offense."

"None taken."

"I'm hoping I can somehow talk my parents out of it, but the woman I'm seeing is a beta so I'm not so sure." Irene smiled, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

"Do you love her?"

"More than I've ever loved anything in my life." He chuckled shyly. "It would kill me to let her go, which is why I wanted to tell you about my feelings on the matter." His face fell into one of sincerity. "I'm sorry I can't get you out of your situation with your parents, Joohyun-ssi. I hope you can forgive me." The woman shook her head adamantly, resting her hands over his.

"We live in an era where people are allowed to love who they love freely. You should be able to celebrate that. Don't guilt-trip yourself into settling for someone just to honor your family name." 

"Our folks just can't seem to get with the times, huh?" He chuckled receiving one in return. Bogum's eyes shimmered under the ambient lighting, a small, genuine smile taking form underneath them. "Thank you."

As the conversation continued, Bogum noticed the omega's eye lids slowly growing heavy. At first he thought nothing of it until her head started bobbing as though it was too heavy for her neck. He tilted his head with worry, waving his hand in front of her eyes to make sure she wasn't slipping out of consciousness.

"Noona? Are you feeling alright?"

"I feel sleepy all of a sudden." She slurred through a groan, resting her weary head on the table. Her brain felt fuzzy and her vision began to fade in and out like lenses in a microscope. Bogum peeked into her cup, not noticing anything that looked particularly suspicious. A warm sensation began to build and pump throughout Irene's veins making her sweat and pant like she had just gotten back from a leisurely jog. Sensing something might be wrong, Bogum quickly paid for their tab and got up to help her to her feet. He wrapped her arm around his neck and carefully guided her towards the door, realizing how bad this must look to the other patrons staring at them.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

* * *

Wendy hummed along to the song playing through her portable speaker as she applied the finishing touches to the edible creation she made for Irene. Seulgi glanced up from her phone and smiled, appreciating the quality of her friend's handiwork.

"Looks good! I think she'll like it."

"You think so?" Wendy replied while gingerly placing a cherry on top of the cute little cake. She took a step back and critiqued it, tilting her head into different angles with discerning eyes. "I think it needs more icing." 

"It looks fine, stop worrying." Seulgi chuckled, "Knowing unnie, she'll like anything you make her."

"I know, I just want it to be perfect." Seulgi got out of her chair, moving to take one last look at the cake before calling it a day. 

"Looks pretty perfect to me." She chirped, giving Wendy's shoulder a quick rub. "I'm turning in. Call me if you need anything."

"Night." Long after Seulgi's door closed down the hall, Wendy continued to inspect and adjust the position of the cake so it looked most appealing. A firm knock at the door caught her attention. She made a few last-second touches, wiping her powder-covered hands off on her apron on the way to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find Park Bogum struggling to keep a rather sickly-looking Irene from flopping to the floor. "Bogum-ssi!? What's going on!? What happened!?" She moved to let the man inside, guiding him over to the couch to lay Irene down.

"We were chatting when she started looking pale. She said she felt sleepy, but after that she seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness." Irene gave a weak little groan, rolling over onto her side. "I checked her drink, but I didn't see anything." The back of the beta's pale hand came to rest on Irene's sweaty forehead.

"She's burning up." Wendy muttered, moving to pull a blanket over Irene in case it was a fever. "Thanks for bringing her back safely, Bogum-ssi, I can take it from here." 

"Are you sure? I can stick around..." His eyes moved to Irene's face scrunched up in discomfort.

"We'll be fine." Bogum was hesitant to bid his goodbyes, but didn't want to overstay his welcome. As he slipped out the door, Wendy tried to find the root of the issue. She felt around for anything worth noticing, but wound up empty-handed. Puzzled, she scratched her head, failing to notice Irene's hooded eyes gazing down at her. 

"Seungwan-ah..." She cooed meekly like a spring dove. Wendy lifted her head, searching her face for any signs of distress. Unlike the younger, Irene had plenty of time to put two and two together. She knew the symptoms of an oncoming heat though, granted, these were amplified to a whole other degree. She didn't want a repeat of what happened the last time she was in heat and out of suppressants, so she grabbed Wendy by the arm and spoke with what little brain power she had left. "Take me to my room and lock the door." A bit perplexed by such a request, Wendy was hesitant to comply.

"Are you sure? What if you're sick?"

"I'm not sick, I'm in he-" Her words were cut short by a burning throb in her lower regions sending her back into an arch, a few raspy moans leaving her throat. Having finally caught on, Wendy quickly scooped her up and carried her down the hall towards her bedroom. Once Irene was laid peacefully on her bed, the beta made sure she had enough water and snacks to last her a while before closing the door and locking it behind her.

Not a moment later, before Wendy could even make it back into the kitchen to store away the cake, a loud, desperate wail echoed through every corner of the apartment. Wendy winced, feeling sorry for her poor leader. She had witnessed her fair share of Irene's pre-heats and while they certainly never looked fun, this one easily took the crown. Never before had a heat made Irene nearly pass out or come home hardly able to stand. She shot her manager a quick text letting him know that Irene would need to opt out of schedules for the next few days. She took an internal oath to keep a close eye on her and make sure she rode it out without any sort of disaster.

She supposed her precious cake would have to wait.


	17. XVII

Seulgi woke to a pleasant fragrance gracing her senses. As she was roused from her dreams with her eyes still closed in bliss, she smiled and stretched her arms above her head letting out feel-good grunts in the process. Today she had planned on going out and surprising Irene with a few things for the pups, but suddenly staying in smelt like the better option.

As her eyes adjusted to the light in the room, a tell-tale tent was pitched in her blankets making her grumble in annoyance. She really didn't care to deal with it first thing in the morning so instead she tucked it away as best she could so as to not offend her other members. With a deep yawn and her signature heavy footsteps, she made her way towards the door only to find it blocked from the other side. Since her room was technically a storage closet, her door knob did not have a lock on it so whoever was trying to keep her on house arrest crammed a bookcase in the tight little corridor outside to compensate. Seulgi pushed against the door to see if she could weasel her way through the crack in the door, but the bookcase holding her hostage met the wall on the other side of the hallway and that was the end of that. 

"Hello?" Seulgi called, swinging the door in frustration. "Yerim-ah? Sooyoung-ah?" 

"Morning, unnie." Joy grumbled in passing while taking a sip of her morning coffee, not even batting an eye in Seulgi's direction.

"Did you do this?"

"Yeah." Joy stated, plopping down at the table with a magazine in hand.

"... Are you gonna let me out?"

"No." Seulgi grit her teeth in annoyance, but said nothing more. Instead, she rested her back against the surface of her door and sighed. She figured this was just another way the maknae line planned to bully her and they would come let her out once the joke lost its kick. Her gaze wandered down to her member straining in her pants. Sure, she had woken up with morning wood before, but it never got this hard. She tried to wrap her brain around things, calling out to Joy again.

"Sooyoung-ah!"

"Yeah?"

"Can I please come out now?" She whined pathetically, just wanting to eat some cereal for her breakfast.

"No." Seulgi was growing impatient with what she assumed to be the maknaes' typical antics. She turned around to shout through the crack in the door.

"Why not!? Come on! You've had your fun! Now let me eat in peace!" She was pleased to hear footsteps padding towards her door, but instead she was handed a plate of toast and scrambled eggs. Joy's emotionless face peeked through the crack in the door like it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

"I'm not letting you out while unnie's in heat." As if on cue, loud whimpers and whines leaked in through the vents making Seulgi gulp. 

"Well, why do you get to be out then?" She griped. 

"Because _I_ can control my urges unlike _someone_. I don't trust you hanging around with Joohyun unnie being so vulnerable - not after what happened last time." She moved to pull the door closed, but Seulgi was quick to stop her.

"Wait!" Joy lifted a brow. "I wanted to go get some stuff for the babies today! ... Please? I promise I won't go anywhere near unnie." Joy didn't look convinced, but figured she'd entertain such a humble request.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You can come with me." Seulgi said, only her eyes and nose visible, cutely peeking through the tiny crack in the door. Joy still wasn't sold on the idea, squinting her eyes in deep contemplation. "I'll buy you lunch."

"Deal. Hold on..." A few grunts of exertion later, Joy dragged the bookshelf out of the way so Seulgi could leave. The older flashed her a little smile, though her eyes quickly fell upon Joy's similar state. A few needy moans and the sound of Irene's headboard tapping the wall made them both blush. 

"Let me eat then we can go. I don't think either of us should stick around too long."

"Agreed." The duo stood awkwardly in the middle of the hallway, Joy hardly even blinking. She continued to stare at Seulgi as though she was waiting for her to do something. 

"What?"

"I let you out, but I'm not taking my eyes off of you - not for a second. I'm onto you, Kang." She pointed two fingers from her eyes to Seulgi's making the shorter awkwardly purse her lips. She brushed by to walk towards the kitchen only to have Joy trailing behind her, practically breathing down her neck. She followed her from the refrigerator to the cupboards, looking over her shoulder as she poured her cereal into a bowl with a bit of milk to follow.

Seulgi let out an airy little chuckle. "I get you're trying to protect her, but isn't this a little much?"

"Maybe. I just wanna know if I can trust you, _Kang_." She bent at the hip to stare into the backs of Seulgi's eyes like an officer in an interrogation. 

"Can I at least grab a spoon?" Without taking her squinted eyes off of Seulgi, Joy opened the silverware drawer and handed the prime what she asked for. Seulgi chirped a quick thanks, taking a seat at the bar stool no longer caring to pay her new shadow any attention. 

"It smells good, huh?" Joy mumbled, trying to garner some sort of reaction worth locking Seulgi up for.

"Yup." The prime replied while happily munching on her cereal, scrolling through her SNS feed.

"Don't you want to... I don't know, help her out?"

"As her friend, I respect her space." Seulgi said with a dignified nod, lifting her spoon back to her mouth. Joy rested her chin on her hand while drumming her fingernails on the granite countertop. She was totally expecting Seulgi to break at some point but was surprised to find she had managed to keep her composure despite all of the factors working against her. A part of her wanted Seulgi to fail for reasons unbeknownst to Joy herself. She wanted to trust Seulgi again, but another part of her wanted to dislike her as well. It was strange.

Kang Seulgi was many things, but unfaithful was not one of them. Despite having a few slip ups on her record, she was always so calm, respectful, and understanding in predicaments like these - something Joy was honestly quite jealous of. She wanted Seulgi to react negatively so she would feel better about her own dirty thoughts zipping in and out of her mind at the speed of light. It was selfish, yes, but it was what she knew. She resented that part of her alpha nature with a burning passion. If she had been born a beta like she believed she was meant to, she would never feel compelled to take advantage of the situation she was presented with. All she or Seulgi had to do was pick the lock on Irene's door and they would be in an alpha's vision of heaven but they stuck by their morals in spite of how tempting that might be. It wasn't to say it was an easy decision to make and Joy was slowly beginning to take the bait herself.

"I'm gonna go change." She murmured. "Don't. Move." Seulgi nodded, kicking her feet absent-mindedly while still browsing through her phone. Joy held her breath and plugged her ears before walking down the hall, though it did little to mask the muffled cries of arousal coming from their leader's room. She wanted to sneak a peek so badly but her resolve proved to be mightier. When she reached her own room at the end of the hall, she slammed the door behind her before she had a chance to change her mind.

Since Irene's room was just across the hallway, she could still hear those dreaded sounds as she changed into her outfit of the day. It was times like these she wished it was spring or summer so she could wear a sundress that wouldn't put her boner on full display like pants would. 

"S-Seulgi-ya-ahn!" Joy's hand froze over her zipper, tuning in on the soft hum of a vibrator accompanied by an arrangement of harmonizing whimpers. She immediately poked her head out the door to make sure Seulgi hadn't broken in while she was gone, but Irene's door remained locked. Jealousy began to build in Joy's gut having come to the realization that Irene had been fantasizing about Seulgi on her own accord. She turned around and slammed the door in frustration, but another name slipped through Irene's lips that made a cold shudder slither up her spine. "S-Sooyoung-ah!"

Her cock had never been more hard than it was in that moment. 

With that, every bit of her self control pulled a disappearing act. She yanked her door open so hard it slammed into the wall. Luckily Wendy was walking by when she saw the alpine alpha march across the hall, aggressively jiggling the door handle.

"Sooyoung-ah no!" The tiny beta struggled to latch on to Joy's arm in an effort to pull her away but found herself to be too small to do so. She shouted for Seulgi who quickly came running with a mask over her face, helping her pry Joy away from the door. They shoved her into her own room, holding the door closed so she couldn't escape. The presence of an eager alpha seemed to further ignite the resident prime omega's heat, throwing her into a blend of grunts and loud sobs on the verge of orgasm.

"Ah! Seungwan-ah!" Irene cried over a series of aggressive wet noises and dull thuds. Seulgi looked at Wendy in surprise, the latter's face burning bright red. A few primal snarls followed by a series of aggressive yanks from the other side of the door snapped Seulgi back into action.

"Let me get changed really fast and we'll go!" 

"Hurry!" Wendy called after her, using all of her strength to keep the stronger alpha contained. Having heard all of the commotion, Yeri wandered out of her room with a juice pouch in hand. She assessed the situation; Wendy holding on to Joy's door with all of her might while Irene continued loudly hammering away at herself for the xth time since the night before. "Help me hold the door closed!" Yeri held up a finger, not caring for the urgency in Wendy's tone, taking her time with sucking the remainder of her juice out of the pouch before tossing it over her shoulder. She finally walked her way over and grabbed the door handle to help keep it from opening.

"I say we just let them go at it. Could you imagine how hot that would be?"

"Yerim-ah!" Wendy scolded with wide eyes.

"What? I was joking!" The maknae giggled cheekily. Seulgi finally returned, fastening the button on her jeans on the way due to the rush. 

"Alright! Let's go! As soon as she's far enough out of range, she'll calm down."

"I'm surprised you're not as far gone as she is." Yeri chided. "Weren't you the one that-?"

"Yeah! Okay! I get it! Can we just get her out of here please!?" Hearing the frustration in Seulgi's tone, Yeri shut her mouth and nodded.

It took an army to get Joy out the door, but once it closed, she realized it would take a lot of effort to get back in - especially under the influence of a rut. Unfortunately, a horde of horny alphas were standing around in the hallway and tried to force their way inside as soon as they squeezed their way through the door. Joy gnashed her teeth in challenge at a few of them, but Seulgi managed to drag her farther and farther away from the door until they safely reached the elevator.

Seulgi slumped against the wall with a sigh, pushing some of her sweat-soaked hair out of her face. Joy appeared to be calming down again as well now that Irene's scent and voice weren't as apparent. 

"You doing okay?" Seulgi panted through her mask, still recovering a little herself. 

"Yeah." The young alpha sighed feeling quite ashamed of herself. "Thanks."

* * *

As Seulgi lead Joy around the outdoor shopping center, the latter seemed to be lagging behind. She dragged her feet, seemingly lost in her own head while Seulgi merrily inspected the map and list of things she wanted to buy for the pups. Joy wanted to be invested in the shopping trip, but she was too busy mentally berating herself for losing control. 

"What do you think? Should we check this place out? ... Sooyoung-ah?" She turned around, noticing the sad look on the alpha's face. "Hey, don't think about it too much." She said, resting a hand on Joy's shoulder. "Let's just enjoy the nice weather and pick out a few cute things for the pups, okay?" Joy quirked her lips, rubbing her arm but nodded, following Seulgi towards a store that appeared to be the most promising. Joy looked around at all of the strollers and other memorabilia stocked on shelves - toys, games, an assortment of clothes.

"Can I help you ladies with anything?" A friendly worker inquired with a smile.

"Thanks, but we're just looking."

"No worries! Holler if you need help finding anything!" The duo wandered around the store in search of anything that caught their eye. Seulgi spotted a little yellow chick blanket and showed it to Joy.

"What do you think? Cute, right?" Joy managed a small smile, reaching out to feel the fluffy softness of the material. Thinking about her baby helped take her mind off of the events of the morning. Just the thought alone of her tiny newborn, swaddled and sleeping in a cozy blanket she would pick out for her warmed Joy's heart. "Awe look! There's a little windbreaker with bunny ears! I wonder if they have a bear one..." Seulgi crouched down to inspect the lower racks, failing to notice Joy's eyes watching her, though this time without any skepticism in them.

Joy liked seeing this side of Seulgi. While the older girl was usually more off in her own little world for the most part, it was nice to see her so enthusiastic about stepping into parenthood. Joy expected her to be panicky or get cold feet due to her love of personal space and freedom, but she was happily proven wrong and the evidence was right in front of her.

"Here we go." Seulgi pulled out a navy blue, fuzzy-hooded onesie with little bear ears attached to it.

"Oh my god that's precious!" Joy said with a hand covering her mouth.

"You like it? Maybe I should get it." Seulgi muttered in thought, flipping it around in her hands.

"It would be a crime not to. We still don't know if its a boy for sure though..."

"Girls can wear blue." Seulgi chirped, folding the clothing neatly over her arm in the same way Joy did with the blanket. "I think we should get the pink bunny coat for unnie too." The younger nodded in agreement as the two carried on with their mission in another section of the store. 

"Shouldn't we get carriers too?" Joy said while inspecting the hefty price tags attached to them. "Or a crib?"

"Let's hold off on that for now." Seulgi stated. "Once unnie enters her nesting faze, she might be picky with what she wants."

"Nesting faze?" Joy inquired in confusion while Seulgi flipped through a few baby books. 

"When an omega is about to give birth, they start setting up their nurseries and pup proofing the house. Sometimes they'll build actual nests out of things that smell like their pup's sire to help ease its restlessness during the last few weeks. They can get _really_ picky and specific with what they want or don't want so it's better we just leave that part to unnie when the time comes."

"Oh." Joy hummed in thought. "Do we know where our nursery will be?" Seulgi looked up from the merchandise in thought.

"I'm not sure. I don't think the dorm has enough space to set up a real nursery."

"That's pretty concerning, don't you think?"

Seulgi picked up an interactive puzzle and curiously fiddled around with it. "I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it." Joy thought more about what their living conditions would be like in the dorm once the triplets were born. Surely a cramped dormitory was no place to raise a litter of happy, noisy, and energetic pups. She began to wonder how Irene would manage schedules and the like the more noticeably pregnant she would become. 

"Unnie?" Seulgi hummed. "Do you think Joohyun unnie will leave us?" The bear woman's eyes visibly lost the happy twinkle from before as she too began to wonder what the future had in store for Irene's flourishing career as an idol. Surely she couldn't perform the choreo anywhere past her first trimester which had already whizzed by their heads all too quickly. Even after the pups were born, she would need time to recover after giving birth and settle the pups into life outside the safety of their mother's womb. Her age certainly didn't help her case. Irene's retirement was certainly a skeleton in the closet none of the members wanted to think about, but it was almost inevitable at this point. 

After much thought and consideration, Seulgi finally came to a conclusion. "I'm not sure."

* * *

Arms loaded with bags full of baby goodies, Seulgi and Joy decided to break for lunch at a quaint little outdoor restaurant. The sun was shining for the first time in a while and the duo were keen on enjoying the warmth while it lasted. Seulgi sucked her water through her straw, hiding her charming eyes behind a pair of stylish designer sunglasses. Meanwhile, Joy was still at war with herself for the way she reacted earlier that day. She was always so good at controlling her urges yet today she acted like a true alpha. It was a reality that scared her to the point where she sought expertise from the only person she knew that would truly understand her position.

"Unnie?" She inquired while twirling her straw in her ice water receiving a quiet hum of acknowledgement in return. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you this morning." Seulgi shrugged coolly.

"No worries. I wouldn't trust myself either after what I did to unnie." Joy pursed her lips.

"Do you ever think about her?" She murmured quietly. "You know... intimately?"

"Sure." Seulgi replied honestly while taking a sip of her drink. "I always thought I still had feelings for her, but I guess it's just in our nature as primes to have that tension underneath the surface. I still care about her, I always will, but I just can't see us in a committed relationship again." Joy nodded in thought. "Why? Have you?"

"Sometimes." The conversation fell into comfortable silence before Joy spoke up again. "What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"Everything." The younger mumbled somewhat shyly. "Being in heat with her like that, being in a relationship with her..." Seulgi looked up, the clouds reflecting in her glasses while she thought about an answer. 

"The sex was incredible. We mesh well together; she enjoyed being handled roughly and I tend to have a habit of expressing myself that way in bed. I'm not proud of it, but it is what it is. I think that's why my imprint rubbed off on her so easily. As for our relationship, there was a lot to be desired - mainly on my end. I guess I'm just no good at them. I sort of did my own thing as usual but still got jealous when others would pay her the attention she craved which was pretty unfair of me. She wanted to hold my hand and do all of the things couples do, but I've never been comfortable with that. She felt neglected because of it and I still feel guilty. Unnie needs a lot of commitment and attention in a lover. I hope someday she finds someone who can give her all of the things I never could."

With Seulgi's words in mind, Joy thought quietly to herself, munching on a French fry while the white, fluffy clouds overhead drifted by.


	18. XVIII

"We're back!" Joy called. She turned to kick a few of the lingering alphas back and quickly pulled the reinforced door securely closed behind her. Wendy's smiling head popped up over the counter, greeting them back warmly like sailors returning from months at sea. She made her way over to see the loot they brought back with them, leaning over the island and shaking her hips in anticipation. She watched as Seulgi pulled out a black and white striped onesie with a cute little turtle printed on the front.

"Oh how cute!" Wendy cooed, taking the soft fabric in her hands.

"We thought Yerim-ah might like to leave her mark." Joy chuckled while reaching into the refrigerator for some juice.

"We couldn't find anything with squirrels on them, but we found a hat with an orange on it." Seulgi said while showing her the miniature item. "We figured your pup could wear it at the hospital." The beta appeared to be on the verge of tears. Seeing the babies' first few sets of clothes put everything into perspective for her. What felt like just an abstract dream had been brought into reality with just a few outfits and blankets. 

Wendy took in the size of the clothes and giggled. "It's hard to believe a human can be so small."

"I know. I don't think your little munchkin will even fit in those." Joy chuckled in reply, downing a few gulps of apple juice.

"What makes you say that?"

Seulgi looked up at her with sincere monolid eyes. "Dr. Song _did_ say your pup is the runt."

"And look at genetics, unnie. You and Joohyun unnie are both tiny." Joy added. "The orange doesn't fall too far from the tree."

The beta put on a little pout, picking a few pieces of lint off of the beanie. "Mr. Bae is tall." She muttered lowly in her unborn child's defense. Joy smiled, opting not to argue back and instead quietly gave Wendy that little win.

"By the way, where is Yerim-ah?" The alpha inquired, looking around the community space.

"I sent her in on a scouting mission, but there was um... a problem." As if the words had summoned her, Yeri slowly walked out of Irene's room - hair a mess with hickeys and red lipstick stains adorning her neck and face. 

"The beast is asleep and sated." She wheezed, plopping down on the couch. She stared off into space like she had just returned from the year 3000 and was horrified by what she saw. Wendy flashed her an apologetic smile, walking over to take a seat beside her and ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to fix it. The maknae held both hands in front of her face, eyes widened at her fingers which were still shimmering with Irene's abundant slick. She could still feel the rough patch against Irene's front wall on the pads of them. and the thought of it made her shiver. "I will _never_ look at these hands the same way _ever again_."

Wendy chuckled, petting the maknae's head. "Well, Seulgi and Sooyoung-ah got something you might like." She laid the little turtle onesie across her lap and smiled. 

"Sweet!" She reached out to pick up the garment but not before Joy harshly smacked her hands away. "Ow! What the-?"

"Wash your hands! Have you no manners?" Yeri simply rolled her eyes, casually sucking her fingers clean of Irene's sweet flavor much to the older girls' dismay. When she was finished, she looked up and noticed the looks of horror and disgust on her members' pretty faces.

"What?" The trio exchanged several awkward glances. "Oh come on! All three of you put pups in her and two of you can hardly keep it in your pants! Don't pretend to be saints now." The older girls' faces blushed redder than a firetruck and she chuckled to herself, getting up to wash her hands out of courtesy anyway. "You guys are just jealous you can't get any."

* * *

Silverware clanked against ceramic plates as the four hormonally sound members gathered to eat dinner together. However, Irene's usual place remained vacant. The table seemed so empty whenever one of them was missing - especially their leader. Joy glanced around at each of her other members, munching on her grilled vegetables.

"So... are we gonna feed our baby mama or what?"

"We've tried." Wendy said with a sigh. "Any time either one of us goes in there she gets handsy."

"I didn't even make it to the bed." The maknae murmured quietly, staring off into space as though she was reliving flashbacks from the war. 

"Well we can't just let her starve!" A series of violent buzzing noises accompanied by wanton cries and kittenish mewls cut Joy's little tangent short. The beast had apparently awakened from her slumber and her body wasn't set on giving her a moment's rest.

"She has water and snacks in there." Wendy assured her with rosy cheeks while picking at her plate. "This heat has really been a monster. I'm not even sure if it's just because it's her second time presenting anymore."

"Did Bogum say he noticed anything weird?" The present prime asked.

"No. Just that she looked pale and sleepy. When he brought her back here she was already deep in preheat so I didn't get a chance to thoroughly check her."

"Don't you think one of us should?" Joy inquired. "What if he drugged her or something."

"And turned himself in?" Seulgi murmured, loudly smacking her lips while chewing. "Doubtful."

"No, she's right. Let's draw lots. Whoever loses has to take her some food and check up on her."

"Not to burst your bubble or anything," Joy began. "But we're alphas. If we go in there, we might accidentally add a few more to the brood, if you catch my drift."

Wendy quirked a brow. "I can too though, so what's your point?"

"Take a few condoms with you just in case. At least you don't have a rut or a knot to worry about. If _we_ mess up, it'll make unnie's life even more miserable." Wendy looked to the maknae who was sitting ominously quiet beside her.

The beta gently nudged the other with her elbow. "You and me then?"

Yeri looked at her like she had grown a second head. "No way! I'm not going back in there with that horny she-demon! _Hell_ no!"

"Then I guess I'm it." Wendy sighed, getting up from the table to rinse her empty plate in the sink.

"I have some condoms in my nightstand if you need them." Seulgi offered at which Wendy gave her a little thumbs up, slipping into Seulgi's room.

She stepped over piles of clothes to reach the nightstand, turning on the lamp so she could find what she was looking for. She rooted through Seulgi's cluttered drawer, mentally cursing the older girl for living in such disorganized chaos. Her hands touched what felt like film and upon further inspection, found a wallet-sized copy of Irene's sonogram. It warmed her heart to see that Seulgi had kept a little reminder next to her bed for her to look at every night before falling asleep. Ever since Irene had announced her pregnancy, Seulgi had made great strides in turning herself around to be better parent material. She had become more patient and accommodating when it comes to other's individual needs and desires - probably practicing for when her own child would inevitably make a mistake or need a little extra push to pick themselves up again. It was both sweet and inspiring.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Wendy gently tucked the sonogram away and picked up the purple box of ribbed condoms. Luckily the pack came with several sizes since, unlike her alpha counterparts, she fell on the smaller end of the spectrum. Then again, the condoms were supposed to be nothing more than a security blanket in case Irene would get a bit too frisky. 

Once she was safely rubbered up, Wendy zipped up her jeans and walked across the hallway. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and fiddled with the lock on Irene's door though that only seemed to make matters worse as the prime's scent filled her lungs. Once she got the door unlocked, she flashed Yeri a look of confusion on her way inside when the maknae got up from her seat, standing at attention like she was saluting a fallen soldier. 

* * *

As Soon as Wendy turned to close the door, a warm, naked body was practically slamming her into it. Before she could even react, the woman grabbed her by her shirt, swallowing her little noise of initial surprise. Wendy's eyes drooped slightly under the siren's spell. Irene's soft lips on hers were driving her wild to the point where she had forgotten the reason for her visit to begin with. 

"I want you." Irene breathed, her mouth leaving Wendy's lips to gently nibble on her neck. The beta drowned in the sensations Irene gave her, a moan bubbling in her chest at the feeling of the prime's hand holding her head at the perfect angle. Opening her hazy eyes, Wendy could see an array of toys and wet spots scattered around the bed. From what she could tell, a few of her vibrators and dildos were rather shapely - some had intimidating ridges while others were made of smooth silicone. 

Clearly she liked variety.

Having regained a bit of her mentality back, Wendy worked up the courage to push Irene away. "Wait, unnie." The prime looked at her through blown-out pupils that made Wendy's heart skip a beat or two. It was jarring. The woman looked absolutely feral - like she was more of a stranger than a friend.

She grabbed Irene by the shoulders in a desperate attempt to communicate. "I need you to listen to me, okay? I'm just here to make sure you're alright." Wendy's brows furrowed, watching as Irene silently lifted her left hand off of her shoulder and brought it to her lips. She proceeded to lick around her fingers, her warm, wet muscle caressing her digits in a way that was oddly arousing.

Emotionless, dark eyes flickered up to gaze at her prey through long lashes, a playful smile spreading across the vixen's open mouth. Wendy was frozen in shock. Her conscience told her to turn and run while she still could, but she honestly didn't want to. A beautiful prime omega was willing and waiting for her - an offer not even Wendy or any other beta had the strength to decline. Not one dynamic alive was immune to the call of a prime in heat.

The lovely scent of warm vanilla and rose petals grew stronger as Irene released her fragrance, slowly luring her chosen bedmate closer. A hot sensation cloaked the beta in a cocoon of good feelings. Suddenly, her clothes felt more like a second skin that needed to be shed - tight and restricting. Her cock strained against the zipper on her jeans making her grumble in discomfort. She wanted nothing more than to get her leader on her back. She could already feel warm, wet walls clenching around her and the thought of it made her moan deep in her throat. Wendy's eyes rolled back in her skull and Irene just smiled. She had won. 

She slid down Wendy's body, her hand reaching under her shirt to caress planes of flat stomach. A hollow groan rumbled behind clenched teeth at the feeling of a wandering hand reaching up to fondle her breast. The room was awfully quiet - only a few soft hums and nervous gasps keeping it alive. The sound of the zipper on Wendy's jeans coming undone made the beta swallow. She had never received oral sex before, but she was very well aware of Irene's intentions. Nervous energy encompassed her being making her fear how the prime would react to her size after sleeping with Seulgi and Joy. What if she was too small to please her?

She glanced down at Irene who had reached a confident hand down the front of her underwear, fishing for her prize. Too late to back out now, she supposed. Wendy held her breath and closed her eyes, her head falling back against the hard surface of the door with a thud. Irene's hand glided up and down the length of her shaft, her thumb occasionally swiping over the head to gather a little precome for lubrication. The beta whimpered at the sensation. Her posture began to slump, brown eyes screwed shut while her cock grew to reach its full potential in Irene's hand.

Without warning, a warm, wet mouth swallowed Wendy's length making her stiffen and gasp - a hoarse moan trapped in her throat. Irene's tongue continued to tease her, running along the protruding vein on the underside of Wendy's cock. Even with the condom on she could feel every movement and it made her vision burn white. Unsure of what to do with her hands hanging limply at her sides, Wendy tangled her fingers in forests of raven locks - an action that garnered a pleased hum from the woman down below. The vibrations sent a shiver up Wendy's spine. Wanting to feel it again, she tugged gently on Irene's hair and was pleasantly rewarded.

Wet slurping noises and the occasional well-timed gag pushed Wendy closer and closer to sweet, sweet release. Each time the head kissed the back of the woman's throat it would constrict around her providing a nice, unpredictable pulse. The heat-laden omega allowed her head to be guided by Wendy's hands, the girl's hips thrusting out to meet her mouth halfway. Just as Wendy's head fell back again with a keening whine, Irene pulled away. The younger looked down in confusion, nearly coming at the sight of a string of saliva keeping the prime's ruby lips connected to her phallus.

Soft hands worked her jeans and underwear down her legs until they pooled around her ankles. While Wendy paused to kick them away, Irene rose back to her full height - her nose nearly touching that of her partner. Wendy blushed at the close proximity, too shy to look her in the eye. A sly smile graced the prime's lips, kissing the tip of her nose in a sweet gesture. Her hands, however, were a lot less affectionate. They grabbed the hem of Wendy's shirt, slowly and teasingly trailing it up to her neck though never completely removing it. For a moment, their eyes locked - breaths mingling in the empty space between them. 

Smoldering eyes took a moment to glance down at the girl's toned abdomen, a pink tongue peeking out to run across her plump lower lip. The devilish look in her onyx gaze did naughty things to Wendy that she was too ashamed to admit. There was a power in them; a power that could only be described as that belonging to a ruthless queen - a queen that was looking for her king. Unfortunately for her, she had happened to stumble upon a peasant girl, but perhaps even the dullest of pebbles could someday become the finest of diamonds if only given the opportunity. 

She nuzzled Wendy's neck, her warm breath sending shivers down the girl's spine. Wendy thought back on what she already knew about Irene in bed. First of all, communication would be very limited as Irene's brain was currently being consumed only by primal thoughts of breed and be bred. Intelligent conversation was already out of the picture the moment Wendy set foot in the room. She knew omegas liked it rough while in heat, and although she had very little experience in that field, she figured she should give it at least a little bit of a try.

Wendy pulled her shirt up and over her head, tossing it to the floor before reaching underneath Irene's thighs to pick her up. The woman released a little moan of surprise, but was pleased to find herself tossed on the bed with Wendy following close behind. The passionate kiss that followed elicited a soft moan from Irene, however, she wasn't one to be topped so easily - especially by a beta. Her partners had to earn their dominance, but for now, Irene was more focused on easing the ache between her legs. 

She spun Wendy around and pushed her back on the bed. The beta hit the mattress with a soft grunt, but she didn't have time to fully recover before Irene was on top of her, pulling her in for a hungry and passionate lip-lock. The older released a little sigh of pleasure, grinding down on Wendy's thigh and leaving a trail of arousal in her wake. Warm hands came up to help her hips rock against the surface of her leg while Irene's rested on her partner's shoulders to avoid pressing her pregnant belly too hard into Wendy's pelvis. A series of loud, wanton cries spewed out of Irene's pretty little mouth as her clit made direct contact with Wendy's smooth skin. Gushes of natural lubrication warmed her flesh then cooled creating an odd but pleasurable sensation for Wendy.

"Are you close?" Irene's body began to tremble on the verge of orgasm, Wendy's hands falling away so as to not disrupt her desperate hunt for the perfect angle. When she found it, Irene's back snapped into a gentle arc while a few high-pitched mewls announced her release, oceans of liquid pleasure soaking Wendy's thigh and the bed spread around it. Irene continued to ride out her release for a little while longer then removed herself completely to avoid overstimulation. After all, her partner still needed to come too.

Without missing a beat, Wendy carefully turned Irene around into reverse cowgirl position, easing her down gently onto her aching cock. A soft grunt was punched out of Wendy's stomach. Irene's tight walls gripped her girth just right, sucking her in until her advances were met with resistance. The prime moaned, shifting her hips to get adjusted once Wendy had reached as deep as she could go. A hand came to rest on Irene's back while she got to work, rocking herself on Wendy's lap until she hit a spot that made her whimper. 

"Right there? Okay." Wendy tried her best to keep her hips rolling to where they would brush Irene's sweet spot with each thrust. She used the ridges on the condom to her advantage, stroking the places that would garner a positive reaction from the older until they were both nearing their own releases. Tiny whimpers and cries were bumped out of Irene with each thrust only spurring Wendy on. "Feel good?" She panted, giving Irene's butt a little smack. The lewd squelching noises of their bodies' coupling increased in speed and volume as Irene fell over the edge first, crying out in rapture. Wendy wasn't too far behind her. She thrust rapidly into the omega's warm cunt until she too verbally announced her completion, finishing into the condom.

While Irene took a moment to catch her breath, Wendy's free hand came up to rub the side of the woman's swollen belly where Seulgi's pup was resting. The skin was already stretched drum-tight - no longer the soft bit of pudge it was four months ago. She could make out red trails of scratch marks over the surface of her skin and figured she should encourage Irene to use moisturizer to help with the itchiness once she was in her right mind again. Doing the calculations in her head, Wendy realized that Irene was nearing her halfway checkpoint. Where had the time gone?

The prime - still in her animalistic state - noticed the presence of Wendy's hand on her body and recognized it as that of her smallest pup's sire, allowing it to glide up to the top of her swell where their little runt was positioned. Irene's dark eyes watched a sweet smile tug at the corners of the beta's lips. While she couldn't understand feelings of love or affection during heat, she could still comprehend a parent's connection and protectiveness over their child. For this reason, she let the beta touch her teeming tummy however she pleased without complaint.

Irene slowly dropped her head to rest her forehead against Wendy's. "Thanks for not biting my hand off." Wendy chuckled in spite of the fact that the prime's brain couldn't make sense of what she was saying. Still, she could recognize her familiar voice and the warm color of it soothed her.

Having had enough of their tender moment, Irene moved to climb into her bed, pulling the covers back on the other side in invitation. However, Wendy failed to understand what she was asking for and instead turned so her legs were hanging over the side of the bed. Once she removed the used condom and disposed of it properly, she stood to gather her clothes off of the floor. This did not sit well with the mother of her pup. She scrambled to grab Wendy's wrist, grunting and pulling her back towards the bed with an adorable yet determined expression.

"What is it, unnie?" Irene curled up on her preferred side of the bed, looking at Wendy expectantly. Finally taking the hint, Wendy slid into Irene's bed. The omega made a satisfied humming sound in the hollow of her throat, snuggling up against her visitor's warm side. The beta rolled her head and smiled, adjusting her position so she was laying on her right side facing Irene. A pair of big brown eyes gazed back at her, this time without any sexual undertones shimmering behind them. "You know, I came in here to feed you." Wendy chuckled through a whisper, gently brushing some sweat-soaked fly away hairs out of her unnie's eyes. "But I guess you've been doing okay in here on your own, huh."

Of course, Irene didn't verbally respond. Instead, she inched closer to Wendy's warmth and inhaled with deeper breaths. Wendy had read about such behavior in one of the later chapters of her book. Irene was trying to familiarize the pups with their respective sires' scents and voices early on so that when the time came they would already feel comfortable in the arms of their other parents. It'll also provide some comfort and relief when Irene will need to stockpile extra energy for the birth with three active pups moving around.

Wendy sighed in content, resting a hand on Irene's stomach while the latter slowly began to nod off into sleep again. The reality they had created for themselves was a scary one, but surely a rewarding one nonetheless. Soon they would be welcoming three new people into the world with open arms, each a product of the bond they shared with their leader. It would be solely their responsibility to raise and care for the fruit their connections had bared so that they could grow to become moral and civilized human beings.

Despite her efforts at appearing to be composed and well adjusted, it was clear that Irene was the most terrified out of the lot of them. She had been roped into this mess but had to suffer the physical and psychological consequences of everyone's irresponsibleness internally. She wasn't aloud to work her way through things at her own pace. She couldn't let herself get too stressed or it would impact the health of the pups as well. Irene was left with no choice but to pretend that all of this was normal. No matter how much it would hurt or how scary it would be, she had to pretend that everything would be sunshine and rainbows on the other side for everyone else's sake but her own. It was cruel.

Wendy pulled Irene's sleeping form closer to her chest, breathing in the smell of her distinct aroma coming off of her hair. She blinked back a few tears and exhaled deeply through her nose. The lights from the kitchen were still on, peeking out from underneath Irene's door. However, the house was completely silent save for a few sirens blaring off in the distance. She carefully craned her neck to see her leader's blissful expression, lips slightly parted to allow her steady breaths safe passage.

"You're the strongest out of all of us - you always were. I just hope you know you won't be going through this alone." Wendy whispered while twirling some of the woman's raven locks around her finger. "You're going to make such a wonderful mother."


	19. XIX

The next morning, Irene was the first to stir from her slumber. The pleasant sounds of birds chirping nearby were coupled with warm sunrays peeking in through her thick curtains. It was a pleasant and welcome change from waking up before dawn to the shrill agony of a screeching alarm clock or the urge to empty her stomach again. The throbbing pressure in her head made her grunt and press a soothing hand to her temple. Her entire body ached, especially the secret space between her legs, but she was relieved to find that her nightmare of a heat had been sated.

Turning over onto her side, Irene was surprised to find Wendy's sleeping face beside her. A few little butterflies fluttered around in her ribcage, though there was immense worry there also. She could only assume they did a lot more than cuddling. She was a prime now and with the presentation of a prime came a lot more bells and whistles to contend with as far as sheer desperation goes. She hoped and prayed she hadn't lured poor Wendy in too aggressively under the spell of her heat. More importantly, she hoped they hadn't dug an even deeper hole for themselves.

Irene quickly reached around her protruding belly to place a hand between her legs, wincing at the dull pain there, feeling around for any evidence Wendy might have left inside of her. Fortunately, but also rather unfortunately, she couldn't feel anything but an annoying little itch at the back of her channel.

_How can I still be horny!? What's wrong with me?_

A quiet, sleepy little moan from the girl lying beside her caught Irene's attention. Wendy was wearing the sweetest, dreamiest smile on her face, sighing into the pillow like there was nowhere else in the world she would rather be. The sight of it disturbed the winged creatures trapped in her chest once more. The primal being in the back of her mind almost hoped the beta had given her another pup to carry, but the voice of reason overpowered such wishful thinking.

With her second presentation came a whole new mentality tacked on to the one she already had. She would have to learn to control her prime side the same way she did with her omegan side when she was nine. The prime gene at its core was an ornery thing. It only manifested itself later in an omega's life when thoughts of pups came into the equation and with good reason. A young omega or alpha wouldn't have the maturity and resolve required to tame such a beast so early in life. Instead, they would present again in their early to mid-twenties when they had developed enough mentality to be able to subdue their urge to hump anyone or anything with the hopes of creating a child. The prime didn't care whether or not they were prepared to raise a litter, all they wanted was to perform their main duty to society and keep the population swelling. That maternal urge coupled with the fact that she was already pregnant and about to enter an encore heat only made matters worse. It was with this in mind that Irene pleaded with Wendy to be kept locked away, not only from the alpha line, but from Wendy and Yeri too. Unfortunately, she failed to make that very clear before she completely lost her mind which lead to her aggressive pursuit of the maknae and what landed her in bed with Wendy.

"Good morning." Irene looked up finding two brown eyes shimmering in the sunlight. "Sleep well?" The omega sighed as a hand reached out to hold and stroke her cheek. The movement made the beta's scent more apparent and compelled Irene to seek more of the lovely fragrance, shifting closer to stick her nose in the base of Wendy's neck. The latter took a thick gulp, feeling a certain something stirring to life underneath the sheets. Suddenly she became very much aware of their nakedness and her blood ran warm. "Uh, uni-unnie?"

"Yes?" Irene sighed, feeling her own body react to the homey scent of her tiny runt's sire. Her face fell into one of disappointment, eyes following Wendy as she moved away to stand beside the bed, using the sheets to cover her intimate areas. However, in doing so, Wendy had accidentally pulled the blankets off of Irene leaving her glowing in all of her naked glory. She quickly shielded her eyes to spare her leader's privacy.

"I'm, uh, gonna go shower!" She squeaked like a field mouse, cheeks burning bright pink.

"Okay, but... could you toss me one of those first?" Wendy followed Irene's pointing finger over to a few of her toys that had wound up on the carpet after their night together. She swallowed the lump in her throat and shot Irene a glance. "I'm... still a bit horny." The older whispered meekly, hiding a bit of her face behind the pillow Wendy was using.

"Oh... are you still in heat?" Irene shook her head. "... Do you want help?" It took a moment, but Irene's tiny head eventually nodded - a shy look on her pale face. "Okay..." Wendy picked up her pair of blue jeans from the night before and fished through her pockets before finding what she was looking for. A purple foil packet was kept between Wendy's fingers before she cast the pants away. "Are you sure? I could leave you alone to-"

"I'm sure." The quiet sure-footedness on Irene's features assured Wendy that this is what the older wanted. She tore open the condom package with her teeth and rolled it down her shaft the way she learned in sex ed, giving her length a firm tug for good measure. When she was sure it was safe, she crawled her way over to Irene and sat patiently at the foot of the bed. She took a moment to gaze at her leader's pregnant form, having never seen it in its entirety with such good lighting before. A gentle hand reached out and rested on the semi-sphere, rubbing over it gently.

"Oh! That reminds me!" Irene quirked a brow as her partner hopped out of bed and ran out the door only to return moments later with moisturizing lotion. She settled back on the bed and squirted a bit into her palm. "I noticed your stomach's been itchy, so I thought this might help. May I?" Irene nodded, watching as Wendy applied the substance all over her taught skin. "Your skin's stretching so it's normal for it to feel itchy. When it feels dry, just rub some of this on and you should feel better." The prime nodded, only this time with a cheeky little smirk.

"Dr. Song might be out of a job soon. You seem to know a lot about pregnancy."

"I've been reading up on it." Wendy confessed, giving Irene's tummy a pat once she was done. "There. Be gentle on your mommy, now." She chuckled, wiping the excess lotion off with a nearby tissue. Irene smiled and gave her freshly moisturized swell a tender rub, glancing back up at the younger girl. Wendy had always been the motherlier figure of the group, so it was no surprise that she took great care of Irene during her first pregnancy. Although prime omegas were known as the Hera Dynamic, named after the Greek goddess of women, marriage, family, and childbirth, it didn't mean Irene always knew exactly what was going on with her own body. Luckily, she had a beta who did and she couldn't be more grateful to have someone like Wendy in her life.

"Seungwan-ah." Wendy lifted her head and her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull at the sight of Irene shyly opening her legs to expose herself before the beta in question. While Wendy had slept with Irene twice before, it had always been in the dark save for a little bit of candlelight. She had never seen a woman's vagina before or at least not this clearly. Her leader's private parts didn't look like the ones she'd seen in porn. Her inner lips were a little more prominent than her outer lips making her equipment look more like a tulip than a completely concealing vulva. It was so pretty and pink, a bit of slick glistening under the light leaking in through the window.

"I don't think we've ever done this in broad daylight before." Wendy murmured, still staring at her leader's wet entrance.

"I guess there's a first time for everything." A pale arm slithered around the hill of Irene's stomach, reaching between her legs to open herself up to Wendy in invitation. The beta's cock was rock hard at this point, twitching with the excitement of being completely submerged in the beautiful omega's tight heat again. Irene gave her clit a little rub to warm herself up while she waited for Wendy to get her wits about her. Finally, she snapped out of her daze and moved forward on her knees until she was stationed between the woman's pale and shapely legs, lining the head of her cock up with Irene's tiny hole.

Big, brown bunny eyes looked up and met that of a friendly squirrel's. Without breaking the eye contact, Wendy slowly rolled her hips forward, sinking herself slowly into the body of her leader, reveling in the way Irene's eyes rolled back and her mouth fell open in a gasp. Irene's legs were then lifted and held around Wendy's slim waist. Once she reached as deep as she could go, Wendy grit her teeth and waited for those warm velvet walls to stop clenching and adjusting to fit snugly around her girth before proceeding with her first long thrust.

"Oh fuck!" Irene breathed, head falling back against the pillows. Wendy took this as a sign to continue. She kept a slow, steady pace, picking her hips up to hit the spot with the dorsal side of her length that made her partner moan the loudest.

The sound of the door creaking open caught Wendy's ears, though she never once stilled her movements. Instead, she turned her head only to find Joy standing in the doorway with a sultry smirk on her face, quietly watching the erotic scene playing in front of her eyes. Wendy mouthed the words 'get out' with all of the maliciousness she could muster while five inches deep in Irene's pussy. Joy ignored her spineless threat and continued watching a few seconds more before flashing Wendy a sly wink and finally pulling the door closed.

"S-Seungwan-ah?"

"Don't worry about it." The speed and force behind Wendy's thrusts hastened, Irene's wails of pleasure raising in frequency as a result. Her hips burned with exhaustion, but judging by the hoarse whimpers leaving Irene's throat, her partner was a bit further along than she was. "Are you close?" Wendy panted receiving a heavy nod as confirmation. Irene's body was dragged over the mattress with every thrust making the bed rock into the wall and creak loudly beneath them. It wasn't long before Irene reached her climax, clenching and gushing around Wendy with a few sweet mewls tumbling through her lips.

Buried in a field of gruff breaths, Irene managed to ask Wendy a question. "Have you come yet?"

"It's okay." Wendy assured her. "I can take care of it." Irene shot her a glance out of the corner of her eye, sinking herself back down on the beta's cock in spite of her building increase in sensitivity.

"Go ahead." Without further ado, Wendy resumed her thrusting as gently as she could, doing the bare minimum to get herself off. Irene smirked. "I know you can work faster than that." Needing no further words of encouragement, Wendy pistoned in and out of Irene with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. Her soft grunts of pleasure sent shivers down the omega's spine. She continued watching from below, enjoying the redness and sheen of sweat building on Wendy's face and chest as she worked herself towards completion. The look was undeniably sexy coupled with grit teeth and the furrow of concentration in Wendy's brows. Feeling a little mischievous, Irene clenched her walls at random around the phallus filling her, successfully sending new sensations to Wendy's brain each time. Just a few more firm thrusts had Wendy emptying into the condom with a low groan.

Careful not to collapse on top of the woman beneath her, she toppled off to the side and landed with a soft grunt. While they fought to catch their breath, Irene rolled her head over and grinned.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

The duo fell into silence for a while, staring up at the ceiling. However, Irene's horny streak was still not satisfied much to her own dismay. "I think I might need a little rough treatment." She panted.

"I don't think I'm too skilled in that department." Wendy confessed. "Plus, I can't feel my nuts." A melodic giggle put a soft smile on the blonde's face.

"Well... would you mind if Seulgi-ya joined us?" The beta craned her neck to get a good look at her prime partner's face to see if she was joking but found only sincerity there.

"I guess she can if that's what you want, seeing as how you're no longer in heat. This is your bed, after all. I'm just in it." She chuckled. "Do you want me to go get her for you?"

"Please." Wendy rolled out of the bed, her legs wobbling for a moment due to their state of numbness. After making herself look presentable, she padded down the hallway and into the little nook leading to the resident bear's cave, knocking on her door politely.

"It's open!" Wendy popped her head in, finding Seulgi seated at her vanity sorting a few of her more recent drawings. She looked up and flashed her friend a welcoming smile. "What's up?"

"Joohyun unnie wants you."

"For what?" When her question didn't receive an immediate verbal reply, Seulgi lifted her head. A telling look was plastered on Wendy's face and suddenly everything clicked. "Oh." She breathed, a little unsure. She looked down at the pile of pictures on her desk in thought. "Isn't that a little dangerous? You know, with her being in heat and such?"

"She's come out of it." Wendy informed the slightly older woman. "She's just a bit... hot to trot, that's all."

"Gotcha." Seulgi nodded, letting out a shaky little sigh. "Okay, well... I guess I'll be in in a minute." While she moved to put her assortment of pictures away, Wendy pulled the door closed and made her way back to Irene's room. Several months ago, casually walking into her best friend's room to ask if she would be willing to pleasure their leader would've been unthinkable yet now it was somewhat to be expected. Perhaps the circumstances really had helped them mature.

"She said she'll be here in a- woah." In the short amount of time it took for Wendy to leave and come back, it seemed Irene's level of arousal had gone from zero to one hundred. A hand was buried between the woman's legs, two fingers hammering away making her moan. Irene's brows furrowed, chest heaving as she worked herself towards the verge of another orgasm.

"Ngh! N-no matter how many times I-I come," She wheezed. "I never feel- oh god!" With a loud cry, Irene soaked her own hand in her juices, legs trembling for a second before lying flat against the mattress. While Irene panted and moaned through the aftershocks, Wendy stood in the doorway puzzled. Even though Irene was no longer in heat, her body was still insatiable.

Loud, slapping footsteps announced Seulgi's arrival without Wendy even needing to turn her head. The bear peeked over Wendy's shoulder and shot Irene a little tight-lipped smile. "Did someone call sex support?" Wendy quite literally face palmed at the stupidity of the joke but chuckled in spite of its cringey nature simply because it was Seulgi.

The sheets rustled under Irene's gravid body as she rolled over onto her hands and knees so that the weight of her young wasn't bearing down on her spine. "Get over here and fuck me." She grumbled in annoyance; her husky voice muffled by the pillows.

"Don't have to tell me twice." A trail of Seulgi's shed clothes was left between the door and the bed. The mid-morning sunrays illuminated the older duo's naked forms, the alpha's hovering over the omega's, pressing affectionate kisses to her back and happily receiving a few pleased sighs as payment. Seulgi's well-sculpted physique meshed nicely with the soft figure of the omega underneath her - even if she wasn't nearly six months pregnant. Despite the strains of their tragic romance, no one could deny that they truly made a beautiful pair. Figuring she would leave them to it, Wendy began to pull the door closed when Irene called after her.

"You too, Seungwannie." Surprised by such a request, Wendy fired back with an uncertain glance. "I need all the help I can get." While Wendy proceeded to take off her own clothes again, wet kissing sounds and low moans coming from the bed swiftly got her soldier standing at attention again. Seulgi's elegant hands gripped Irene's hips and occasionally caressed down Irene's thighs while she leaned over the latter's beautiful body to plant wet kisses and playful nips to the backs of her partner's pale shoulders. It was a beautiful sight to see, even though it shot a bullet of underlying jealousy clean through Wendy's chest. Their bodies were built to be a perfect fit for that of the other - a coupling befitting of the Phanes and Hera Dynamics.

Monolid eyes glanced over to Wendy's crotch at which the beta shielded herself with her hands out of embarrassment. "There's no need to cover up, Wannie," Seulgi husked. "I just wanted to make sure you were getting up okay." The beta nodded with a blush. However, as Seulgi made a move to rub herself against Irene's haunches, Wendy's eyes boggled in surprise. She knew alphas tended to have more generous assets - especially primes - but Seulgi's length had to be the most impressive she had ever seen. It was worthy of envy all around - from its length to its girth all the way down to the prominent veins rippling along her shaft.

_How does she manage to keep that beast hidden so well??_

Irene pat a spot on the bed right in front of her in invitation. "Put a condom on and hop up. Don't be shy." Wendy obeyed, crawling over to where Irene wanted her, gasping when warm lips immediately wrapped around the head of her cock. Even through the thin layer of latex separating her bare skin from the wonders of Irene's mouth she could feel the rough texture of her tongue running along the lower side of her member.

"Why did you make me wear a condom uhn-nie?"

"She's funny about her mouth." Seulgi replied, giving the woman's bottom a sharp smack that garnered a sound of approval. "She doesn't like the taste or texture of semen. Isn't that right, Hyunnie?" Catching on to what Seulgi was prompting her to do, Irene hummed in agreement around Wendy creating a lovely vibrating sensation that made her eyes roll back and her toes curl.

Once the raven came up for air, the alpha of the room ran a hand over Irene's smooth skin and pressed a kiss to her ear before whispering a few words only she could hear. "If your tummy gets too heavy, let me know." Irene nodded in understanding, letting Seulgi slip away to properly line herself up with her soaked entrance. "How do you want it?"

"Red." Irene breathed in preparation.

Seulgi chuckled while rolling a fresh condom down her shaft. "I figured."

"You don't mind if I make noise, do you?"

"Oh, you better make noise." Without so much as a word more, Seulgi sheathed herself completely inside of Irene making the girl squeal in surprise. Wendy watched in a mix between horror and fascination as Seulgi jerked Irene back by the hips, plowing away with such gusto only a true alpha could wield. While Wendy worried about the rough pace hurting Irene, she was relieved to hear a series of pleased whines and soft words of encouragement leave the older's lips.

"Harder." She croaked, gripping the sheets between her fingers.

"Do you remember what to call me?" Seulgi's raspy voice grunted back while increasing the pace ever so slightly.

"D-daddy!" Irene keened, resting her head on her arms. Wendy could feel her face burn at such a name. She had only ever seen it used in porn or the erotic novels she used to read.

"Naughty girl." Seulgi managed through a husky groan of arousal, mumbling directly into Irene's sensitive ear. "What do you want daddy to do to you?"

"Fuck me," The omega plead in desperation. Meanwhile, Wendy watched the scene from her front row seat - stroking her own cock absentmindedly. Seulgi was the vision of Alphan dominance. It was difficult to believe that such a sweet, clumsy bear could change so drastically in the bedroom. Wendy admired her physique - a nice set of abs coated by a layer of sweat, toned arm muscles flexing while pulling her ladylove back to meet her thrusts, mouth open to relieve the heat building up inside of her fit body. A thick yet delectable vein had popped out of Seulgi's neck under the physical demands that came with good sex. She looked up at Wendy, fly-away hairs matted down to her face somehow making her look even more attractive.

"Play with her, Seungwan-ah."

"I don't know how..." Seulgi grunted when the Irene's tight walls pulsed around her in arousal.

"Kiss her, grope her, squeeze her neck - she'll let you know if you're doing something wrong." Wendy looked down at Irene - a puddle of lust and need - rocking with the motions of the rough pace set by Seulgi's thrusts. "Try whispering some dirty talk in her ear." Seulgi suggested over her own labored breaths, the loud creaking of the bed, and Irene's kittenish whimpers. "She likes that." Unsure of where to start, Wendy tried to recall what Irene enjoyed the night before and reached a hand into Irene's hair, giving it a soft tug. The woman seemed to enjoy it. She moaned throatily, begging Wendy to do it again only this time with a little more feeling. Wendy did as she was told, tugging harder on Irene's raven locks and gulping at the erotic face that came of it. A quivering hand hovered over the sweaty column of Irene's neck, but she quickly retracted it out of fear and distrust towards her own abilities.

"I don't think I'm cut out for the rough stuff." Wendy sighed, letting Irene's silky locks slip free from her hand. Sensing the younger girl's despair, Irene rested her head in her lap, puffs of warm air grazing the beta's naked skin.

"I-it's okay." Irene whispered; a little groan caught in her throat due to the head of the alpha's cock hitting her sweet spot. Not trusting herself to speak clearly any longer, she reached for one of Wendy's hands and brought it to her bouncing breasts. "J-just... _gentle_ they're s-oh! Mmm! _"_ Piecing together what Irene was trying to tell her, Wendy gently squeezed the doughy mammary in her hand though not too hard so as to not hurt her. They were certainly up a few cup sizes from where they were before, though still firm and perky. Wendy cupped its twin in her other hand and gently massaged them both while Seulgi kept up her pace from behind. However, the weight of her pups was quickly becoming too heavy for Irene to carry. "S-Seulgi-ya, my stomach-"

"Okay, hold on just a sec..." Wendy's ears perked up, the beta watching as Seulgi flipped Irene over so she was laying on her back again. The alpha took advantage of their change in position and swallowed Irene's moans of comfort and relief in a kiss laden with tongue. They both playfully smiled into the wet and sloppy lip-lock, Irene wrapping her arms around Seulgi's neck with a soft, seductive coo. It felt like Wendy could just get up and walk out and the couple would be none the wiser.

The beta pursed her lips. She was jealous - jealous of Seulgi's prowess in the realm of sex and jealous of her extensive knowledge on what Irene wanted in bed. Then again, she was a prime - just like Irene. Seulgi and Wendy were both so similar yet so vastly different; same age, same job, same no-jam personality, and yet Seulgi was the one who got the girl... _again_.

When the alpha felt Irene's walls clench, she used her leader's flexibility to their advantage. She gently parted her legs with her hands, thrusting into her with animalistic vigor making her ex-girlfriend cry out - hanging over the edge of ecstasy. "Are you gonna be a good girl and come for daddy?" Seulgi purred lowly into Irene's ear. "Make daddy _very_ happy?" Unable to formulate a coherant response, Irene whined into Seulgi's neck and clawed at her back as her orgasm built inside of her.

Seulgi suddenly dropped her weight to lightly press Irene into the bed, careful not to add too much pressure on top of her tender breasts or full womb. Unable to do much more than toss her head and kick, Irene's face contorted in pleasure - reveling in the warm, cozy feelings she got from Seulgi's act of dominance. The beta watched with great intrigue as Seulgi made soft hushing sounds directly into her partner's adorably large ears. The curious yet simple sounds seemed to make Irene squirm and moan with delight.

"Come for daddy." Just like that, Irene was thrown over the edge - loud, wanton cries filtering out of her mouth that were sure to wake the neighbors. The omega's vision went white. She lay sprawled out on her sex-soaked linens with her head on Wendy's lap, staring up into space while she waited for gravity to pull her back down to Earth.

"Is she okay?" Wendy inquired, moving the woman's hair out of her eyes.

"She'll be fine," Seulgi panted. "Hopefully that took it out of her - at least for a little while." She reached out and rubbed Irene's stomach, feeling it rise and fall with her breaths for a moment before getting up to gather her things. 

Wendy thought quietly for a moment before making her question known. "Hey, what was that sound you made just now?"

"Oh, that? I'm not really sure." Seulgi replied. "She just likes it I guess. I used to do it when we were dating and she'd get all flustered." She reached to pick up her pants, her cock bobbing heavily between her legs, dripping with Irene's abundant juices. A pair of hands not belonging to Seulgi began to work the used condom off of her length nearly giving the girl a heart attack. The group's mischievious maknae shot her a wink from her seated position on the floor with Joy smirking nearby.

"Who invited you two!?" Wendy exclaimed, still sticking by a heavily fucked-out Irene.

"Technically _she_ did," Joy stated with a nod in Irene's direction. "You must've _really_ hit the spot, unnie. There's no way either of us were getting _anything_ done with _that_ noise."

"Facts." The partners in crime exchanged a fist bump of agreement while Irene slowly came to with a weak groan.

"I don't understand," She whispered in worry. "How am I still not satisfied?"

"Maybe it's your encore heat. I'm sure layering that on top of presenting fucks with your body one way or another." Irene ran a hand over her bump, still not thoroughly convinced.

"Give it a few days. Maybe it'll go away?" Yeri suggested, quickly following Joy out of the room. Concerned with their leader's odd spell of insatiable libido themselves, Seulgi and Wendy spared her another glance.

"Maybe..."


	20. XX

It took a few days of fucking like bunnies for Irene's unusual symptoms to fade to the point of non-existence. Once her sex drive was back down to normal, Irene’s only job in the dorm became nothing more than keeping her blood pressure as low as possible... and, of course, doing the laundry as she utterly refused to allow anyone else near her safe space. That is, everyone except for Joy.

The girl had developed an odd new kink for dryer sex over the past few weeks that the duo had been exploring. When she was in the mood, Joy would drop whatever she was doing and usually find Irene tossing another load of wet clothes into the dryer. From there, she would pick her up without so much as a word and place her on top of the machine then sit back and enjoy the show. She would try to see how long she could go without touching herself to the sight of Irene reacting to the clitoral stimulation the vibrations provided then inevitably give up, bend her over the machine, and go to town. Irene certainly wasn't complaining. Well, at least not about the dryer sex.

Irene could feel her members' treatment towards her change once she reached her second trimester. Any time they would catch her doing anything besides folding laundry, washing dishes, or sitting on the couch they would rush to her aid - even when it wasn't necessarily needed nor desired. Sometimes they would even insist of carrying the laundry basket for her. It wasn't like she was particularly large. Her condition was certainly visible, but not to the point where she needed the extra help just yet. She was beginning to feel more like a living incubator than a person. Strangers would rudely touch her belly out in public only for her to go home and have hands all over her again (though, to be fair, they weren't always on her belly.)

Needless to say, Irene was beginning to feel suffocated.

As an omega and especially as a prime of her species, she was used to being treated like a porcelain doll. Everyone always offered to do things for her whether it be because they believed she was incapable, to flirt, or because they were simply trying to be helpful. It didn't help that it was seen as normal in the eyes of society to fork over extreme amounts of care towards omegan kind - even strangers. But prime omegas? They were better off living as hermits in the Amazon.

Seeing as how they were the extremely limited population of human baby factories, prime omegas were catered to the most. People wouldn't hesitate to take off their coats or offer them their own umbrellas when it was raining. A prime could probably rob a store blind and the shop keeper would wish them well. As if it wasn't already too much for Irene to handle, pregnant primes were practically worshipped like goddesses of fertility. Her belly was rubbed so often by strangers that she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from telling them there wasn't a genie inside. She absolutely _loathed_ the attention and she certainly never expected it to come from her own members.

Some of their cautiousness came with good reason, though. As Irene's precious cargo grew, she grew with it making certain tasks such as crouching or bending over more of a challenge. The therapy she got out of doing the laundry would soon be out of the picture in the coming months which upset Irene more than she would like to admit. She wanted to enjoy her hobby while it lasted. The more the other girls went out of their way to pick things up off of the floor for her or help her carry more cumbersome objects, the more Irene began to question the durability of her generally sunny outlook as well as the longevity of her career.

* * *

One beautiful afternoon, Wendy decided to grill meat for her members to celebrate the coming of spring as well as another confirmed comeback. The abundance of snow that had piled up next to the sidewalks was beginning to melt away under the warmth of mid-March. A few remaining ice cycles dangling from the overhang just above Red Velvet's dorm slowly trickled into wet puddles on the wooden floorboards, reflecting the light of the sun into rainbow-colored lines on the wall.

Irene sat in Seulgi's lounge chair overlooking the roadways of Seoul, rubbing the swell of her abdomen over the material of a wool blanket, deep in thought. She felt at peace, though she was troubled just the same. What would she do if she decided to leave the entertainment industry and raise her new family properly? Soon she would have three hungry mouths to keep fed and they could only rely on her milk for so long. Not to mention rent and other amenities she would need to afford to keep a roof over their heads. She wanted to provide her pups a comfortable life - one they could thrive in. She couldn't do that living off of an idol's salary assuming she would even continue receiving paychecks once she informed the company that she was with child.

More importantly, what would her parents say? Better yet, what would they do? She still had to break the news to them as well despite how little she wanted to. She had been shelving it for so long out of fear and anxiety to the point where she would be too vulnerable if her father should decide to take his frustrations out on her again. A slap to the cheek was one thing, but her stomach was now a free target. If something happened to their pups because of her avoidance, Irene would never be able to forgive herself.

"Soup's on, everyone!" Wendy shouted over the sizzle of steaks cooking on the grill. The other three members gathered around the kitchen table they had temporarily moved in front of the sliding glass doors to better jeopardize their view of the city. Irene hoisted herself out of her chair, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders like a shawl before shuffling her way back inside. Of course, Yeri and Joy were busy harassing one another as usual while Seulgi quietly sat nearby, scrolling through her phone to tune them out. "Unnie gets the biggest piece." Wendy chirped, setting a plate down on the table in front of their leader.

"It's alright, I'm not that hungry."

Wendy flashed her a charming little smile over her shoulder. "It wasn't a suggestion."

* * *

The younger quartet watched as Irene went about meals the way she was used to - making sure everyone else was served then eating whatever scraps remained. However, this practice wasn’t fit for someone in her condition and the others were quick to steer her back in the right direction.

"Go ahead and eat, Hyunnie." Wendy insisted, placing some of her own side dishes onto the older’s plate. "If you eat, the whole family eats." All eyes fell on Irene as she obliviously took the first bite from her own plate. They watched her chew with blank expressions, seemingly doing so for their own reassurance. Sensing the sudden tension and silence surrounding her, Irene lifted her head and blushed beet red. She had never been one to enjoy being the center of attention and she was certainly not starting today.

"What?" Their heads dropped back to hovering over their plates, acting as though the four of them weren't just boring holes into the eldest's skull.

"Um, so what are the youngyens gonna call us when they're through cooking?" Yeri mumbled through a mouth full of food.

"Unnie's name should stay the same since you're their mother." Joy stated. "Otherwise it could get too confusing."

"Eomma's fine." Irene said while gently rubbing her middle and taking a swig of her juice.

"I call daddy!" Yeri shouted, raising her arm high above her head. The older girls just stared at her, completely unfazed by such a bazar outburst at this point.

"Why?" Joy asked with squinted eyes and a confused shake of the head.

"Yeah, you're right. Seulgi unnie should be daddy." Said woman violently choked, thanking Joy when she gave her back a firm pat to help her recover.

"I would rather let them decide." Wendy said with a sweet smile while picking at her food in thought. "I'll be whatever they want me to be. So long as they know they're loved, I'll be happy." Irene's heart fluttered at the sentiment and it showed on her features though Wendy failed to lift her head and see it for herself. Instead, the prime hid her shy smile behind her fork, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her protruding left ear.

"Okay, okay, how's this," Yeri clapped her hands together like she was about to give the best sales pitch of the century. "NotherMother!" She exclaimed proudly, waving her hand in the air with a dreamy expression. "Eh? Pretty good, huh."

The others just stared at her with blank and unimpressed expressions. "Were you dropped on your head or are you naturally this stupid?"

"Okay, since you're so smart." Yeri grumbled, leaning back in her chair with her arms folded over her chest. "Let's to see you do better."

"Mommy while they're kids, Mom when they're older." Joy muttered blandly, looking out the window while raising her fork to her mouth. "You really think greeting teachers or other parents as 'NotherMother' will make a good impression? Keeping things simple is what's best for them in the long run." Yeri silently mocked Joy's words, moving her mouth in a sarcastic and dramatic fashion.

Wendy turned to Seulgi. "What about you? Any ideas?" The monolid bear munched on her food, glancing up at the ceiling in thought. She had never really taken the time to sit down and think about what her kids should call her. She was more invested in being a good mom and raising them well than she was worrying about domestic details. In the end, she gave a little shrug.

A sudden gasp made necks snap from all directions. Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy immediately set their dials to protective sire mode while Yeri sat calmly and waited for an explanation. They tried to read and understand the astonished but awestruck shimmer in the eldest’s almond-colored eyes. When a hint didn't come, looks of panic grew more apparent on their features.

"What’s wrong? Is everything alright?" A calm hand halted worried Wendy’s advances. The others anxiously waited for Irene to finish chewing before she finally spoke.

"Someone has the hiccups." Four pairs of eyes glanced down in wonder at the hand rubbing soothing circles over her baby bump. It was the first time Irene had felt the pups move and while it may not have been as noticeable as a kick, it was a pretty good place to start.

Joy looked at Irene with a twinkle in her eye. "What does it feel like?"

"Like I'm a living popcorn machine." The woman giggled giddily.

The conversation spun off into a different court, but Irene had long since tuned it out. The little signs of life inside of her had shot her baby brain into overdrive. While she was well aware that the pups inside of her were in fact human, for some reason she had failed to comprehend just _how_ human. They were babies now, sure, but someday they would be adults with their own dreams and opinions. Their childhood would shape that. A life running away from Dispatch and appealing to the masses was her decision, not theirs. What kind of a mother would she be to subject them to such a harsh environment?

"Maybe I _should_ retire..."

The room fell into complete silence; so much so that one could probably hear a pin drop in the apartment next door. Realizing what she had done a moment too late, Irene lifted her head. Each member's face wore a different shade of sadness and despair - especially Yeri's. With those four words, the maknae's entire world was cracked in two. Of all of the things that could have happened, she would have faced them all with a smile if it meant the five of them would still be together. Now Irene, the woman who was practically her mother, may no longer be with them. Everything was changing too quickly.

Before Irene could explain herself or make a move to stop her, Yeri shot up out of her chair and ran. A door slammed down the hallway, faint and muffled sobs being the only sounds that could be heard over the low hum of the heater. The table remained silent for a while as the other three struggled to digest it as well. They all played such a vital role in the group, but Irene was their leader. She may have performed her duties discreetly from the sidelines, but they had a lasting impact, nonetheless. No one could ever fill the void Irene's departure would leave in her stead. There would always be an empty mic stand, an empty seat at the table, one less voice on a track, and one less smile on stage. The thought of that killed them inside, but they knew that this is what was best for Irene and their pups as well.

Finally, Joy worked up the courage to break the silence. "So that's it then," She murmured quietly. "You're leaving us." Unsure of how to respond, the omega pursed her lips and looked down at her lap.

"What about our Luvies?" Seulgi spoke. "Don't they deserve some sort of an explanation or a proper goodbye?" A few tears gathered in the corners of Irene beautiful doe eyes, subtly dabbed away as usual. Wendy felt sorry for her. It was a tough decision to make. Surely Irene wasn't quite ready to leave Red Velvet yet, but she had to adapt to the change in circumstances. Maybe if netizens weren't so cruel, sheltered behind their cables and screens, Irene would be able to perform a little while longer so long as she could remain seated. However, that vision of the way things could have been was unrealistic. It would be better for Irene to ween herself away from the spotlight before the pups were due so she could have the time she needed to settle into a new environment. As a pregnant omega, she would need to feel intuitively sound and secure in her new dwelling if they wanted any healthy pups out of her. If her inner omega didn't feel safe or couldn't smell her pups' sires, it could only end in tragedy. It was their job as not only her members and partners, but as her friends to help her through that transition as smoothly as possible.

All eyes watched as Irene slowly lifted herself out of her chair, but not to follow Yeri's trail of tears. Instead, she gave the youngest her space for the time being and retreated to her own room to mull things over.

* * *

The news of Irene's unexpected departure spread through the tabloids like an infectious disease.

On their way through Gimpo Airport the afternoon Irene's personal announcement was posted, crowds of fans and photographers rushed to meet them. Irene, having felt a wave of panic wash over her, held on tightly to Wendy's arm and ducked her head to hide her face. Fansites and journalists barked rather insulting and invasive questions at her through the wall of security guards easing them through the ruckus making Irene's lower lip tremble. Upon noticing the mob had made their leader upset, Joy and Seulgi could feel the protective anger bubbling in their chests. It became much harder to let excited fans reach out to touch Irene even though their hands had only love in them. However, when it came to anyone else, they would slap the hand away leaving a sting on the perpetrator's skin. Meanwhile, Yeri walked nearby with her eyes to the floor and her arms folded tightly across her chest. Beside her, Wendy murmured sweet nothings into Irene's ear to help lift her spirits until they were safely out of the fray.

But of course, things couldn't run so smoothly.

Frustrated with Irene's silence, the journalists and camera men pushed to get even closer with great determination. Fans shouted for them to stop, some joining in with hopes of getting noticed by their idols. Soon the entire section of the airport had fallen into chaos and the girls were immediately rushed to a safer location - the nearest one being a women's restroom.

The members stood around to wait out the ambush. Loud shouts and fangirls' screaming leaked into the tiny space and echoed off of the tile on the walls. Joy turned to make sure Irene was doing okay, but she was nowhere to be found. Her heart hammered in her chest until Wendy pointed towards the locked handicap stall. The young alpha quietly approached and pressed her ear against the stall door, her heart cracking at the little sniffles on the other side.

Joy gently rapped her knuckles against it. "Unnie?"

"Please just leave me alone." Joy glanced over her shoulder to Wendy as though she was asking permission. The latter gave her a little shrug as another way of saying 'your choice.'

The sight of someone crawling underneath the gap in the door left Irene frozen with fear until she recognized that someone to be Joy. It took quite a bit of effort for the alpha to get her tall, shapely body through the narrow passage, but she managed, grimacing after realizing how horrible the state of the floor was. Figuring now was not the time to fuss over such matters, she stood back to her full height and immediately wrapped the older woman's tiny figure up in her arms. Irene hid her face in her hands and rested the backs of them against Joy's chest, quietly sobbing into the comfort her presence provided.

Amidst a few quivering breaths, Irene managed to whisper her troubles so Joy could hear them. "I don't want to let anyone down."

"I know." The younger raven cooed, rubbing her leader's upper arm and placing a kiss to the crown of her head. For a moment, they stood like that; Joy holding a crying Irene in a disgusting airport bathroom with crude remarks bouncing in from the outside. Joy could blame only herself for Irene's suffering. All of this could have been avoided if only she hadn't let her pride consume her. Now her eldest unnie was taking the fall for all of them. She had lost her job, lost her freedom, she may never even find a mate thanks to the three little angels inside of her.

Joy fought back her own guilty tears for her leader's sake. She couldn't bear to think about Irene having to return to Daegu after all of this was said and done. Surely her family would force her to marry - possibly even terminate the pups just so she could fall pregnant again with a different litter by a different sire. If that would become the case, they very well may never see Irene again. That was the straw that completely snapped the camel's back.

Why did their world have to be so cruel?

The younger girl's face burned red with emotion, tears streaming down her face. She held Irene a little closer to keep her away from the terrorizing thoughts in her own head. She didn't want to say goodbye - not like this. Not while knowing that Irene had been thrown back to square one minus a few all because of her and her stupid bet.

"Don't go." Joy plead from the bottom of her heart. " _Please_ don't go." Irene's arms moved to reciprocate the hug, fingers gripping the material of Joy's sweater while they both fell apart at the seams.

The scene outside wasn't much prettier. Having overheard her faint whispers, Wendy and Seulgi wiped away a few tears of their own from their reddened eyes. Meanwhile, Yeri chose to hide her sadness from her members. Instead, she stood around the corner next to the sinks with her back against the wall - panting through her own weeping whimpers of heartache. She wanted to be angry with Irene, badly so, but how could she be? Her leader didn't need one more burden added to the mountain of a pile she already carried. What she needed right now was something more than a friend or a lover to help light the way through the forest to greener pastures waiting for her on the other side. She didn't need silver, she didn't need gold, she didn't need a passion, she didn't need praise, she didn't need fame, she didn't need all of the blessings in the world.

All she ever needed was a family who loved her.


	21. XXI

The train clacked as it rumbled across the tracks at blazing speeds. For now, the cabin was blissfully quiet save for the occasional cough or sniffle. Irene sat next to a plump older woman with Seulgi standing nearby, holding on to the handle hanging from the ceiling while reading some sort of travel brochure.

The all too familiar feeling of a hand creeping onto her belly made Irene jump in surprise. The woman seated beside her flashed her a friendly, maternal smile. "You're carrying low! Are they boys?" However, she ignored Irene's attempt at a polite reply and turned her attention towards Seulgi instead.

"Excuse me, are you the sire?

Seulgi looked up from the card in her hand, clearly caught off guard. "Uh, well I-"

"You picked such a pretty little thing!" The woman cooed, talking about Irene as though she was nothing more than an antique doll on a nearby shelf. "She'll do well for you, I'm sure." Unsure of how to respond, Seulgi slipped out a confused and rather disturbed thank you. Meanwhile, from the other side of the car, Wendy watched the exchange with a frown before returning her gaze back down to her phone.

* * *

An awkward silence loomed in the air of the doctor's office. The reality of Irene's future had carried itself over into what should have been a very exciting time. Today they were going to know what gender the triplets were but not one of them could manage to crack a smile - not knowing what tragic fate was most likely waiting around the corner, ready to swallow the pups whole before they would even take their first breaths.

The doctor's stool squeaked as he rolled his way over to Irene's side, adjusting his glasses to rest more comfortably over the bridge of his nose. "Let’s see our little friends now, shall we?" All eyes watched the monitor as the magic wand rolled its way over Irene's prominent swell. "There’s our star kicker," The doctor said, watching Joy's baby kick her legs with a little laugh. "She’s practicing for the world cup. Can you feel her moving yet?" Irene nodded, paying closer attention to the little pokes she felt on her lower right while watching her daughter's movements in real-time on the ultrasound. "That's good. Others should be able to feel them kick in just a few more weeks. I predict she'll be about Miss Park's height some day, maybe just a bit shorter - give or take depending on genetics." Joy gazed over at the screen and bit her lip, fighting back an emotional breakdown. She wasn't the only one, though. They were all afraid of the very real possibility they may never get a chance to meet the pups, including Irene.

The wand moved over towards Irene's lower left, hunting for Seulgi's pup. When he found what he was searching for, Dr. Song chuckled and took a quick snapshot to be printed later on. "He's definitely a boy." He declared, leaning forward to get a better look at the monitor. "This little guy must love his naps. Have you felt much movement from him?" Irene shook her head. "That's alright. He should become more active when you're a bit further along, though I think you'll appreciate his drowsiness when his siblings need a little extra attention." Irene swallowed her sorrow, looking down at herself with fresh tears in her eyes. Her emotional state hadn't gone unnoticed by her members, but there wasn't much they could say or do to comfort her. 

The doctor grabbed a marker and checked off where each baby was positioned the same way he did during Irene's last ultrasound; Star Kicker on the bottom right, Sleepy on the bottom left, and Tiny just below Irene's rib cage. 

"Now, for your little runt..." He murmured, pausing to find the baby. "Another girl. I will say, she will need to spend a few extra days in incubation after she's born. From what I can tell, she appears to be healthy which of course is wonderful. We just need to make sure she stays that way until she puts on the minimum amount of weight required for her to be cleared so she can keep her own body temperature regulated. She may suffer from a breathing issues due to her small size, but I can't confirm that quite yet. Just something for you to take into account moving forward." Unable to take much more of this, Wendy turned around to face the corner of the room with a hand covering her mouth. Joy reached out to take her into a half-hug, rubbing her shoulder in comfort.

After the long, almost tortuous appointment was over, Seulgi stayed behind and asked to speak with Dr. Song in private. Once he was sure the coast was clear, the doctor quietly shut the door and took a seat on his squeaky old stool. Seulgi sat quietly on the examination table with her hands folded neatly in her lap.

"How may I help you, Miss Kang?" The man inquired.

"I've been thinking about getting sterilized." She replied lowly, failing to lift her head long enough to meet his eyes. 

Dr. Song glanced down and took note of the way the woman's thumb gently stroked her own hand in self-comfort. "You mean a vasectomy?" Seulgi nodded. "... May I ask why?"

"Our circumstances are complicated." She replied. "If I lose my son, I don't think I'll ever be able to care for another baby." The doctor thought for a moment, his eyes glancing down and away from his patient. 

"Well, that's your decision to make," He sighed while rhythmically tapping his pen on the edge of his clipboard. "I'm not trying to discourage you, but even after the loss of a child, life goes on. What if someday you decide you want to try again?"

"Are you just saying that because I'm a prime?"

"Not necessarily. I'm not saying you should have children of your own simply because of your dynamic, but I do think you should consider donating to the sperm bank for patients who come in and can't have a baby of their own. As a prime, you're very vile so the chances of conception with your sperm are much higher than it would be with an average alpha or beta's. That's how you were able to give Miss Bae twins before."

Seulgi's heart sank in her chest. "... The fourth was mine?"

Dr. Song pursed his lips, feeling sorry for ever mentioning it. "He was. But his chances were slim from the start, I'm afraid." Seulgi looked back down at her hands, sighing to herself. Within the span of just a few weeks, she had gone from having two pups, to one pup, all the way down to where she was now. She would've been relived to know he the litter would at least get a chance to live, but given the tower of odds stacked against Irene and their pups, the chances of that were very slim. It got her thinking about the barren couples desperate for a family of their own.

"I'll donate, but only once. I mean what I said before." The doctor nodded, giving her leg a reassuring pat as he made a move to stand.

"I hear you. And I want to help you." He escorted Seulgi back out into the hallway and gently massaged her shoulder as a parting gesture. "I'll call you within the next few weeks to schedule an appointment. Take care."

"Thanks, you too."

As the door creaked closed, Seulgi made her way back down the long, white hallway towards the waiting room to reunite with her members. She wanted to feel numb. Instead, it felt like the weight of the world was tugging on her chest. The thought of never getting to hold her newborn son in her arms or watch him grow into a happy, smiling boy made her heart feel weak. Fishing into her pocket, she pulled out her copy of Irene's sonogram. Seeing the distinct outline of her baby's figure broke her into a million tiny fragments like a stained glass window shattering in a hail storm. With several quaking breaths of mourning, Seulgi pressed her back against the nearest wall and slid down to the floor - burying her red, tearful face in her knees.

* * *

Her members quietly stood in the doorway with forlorn expressions on their faces while Irene gathered what was left of her things and placed them into moving boxes. SM was only gracious enough to give her a week's notice before she had to be completely out of the dormitory which left very little time for packing and planning her next move. For now, all she could do was return to Daegu. She didn't have the finances to rent her own place, even with the money she had accumulated from CFs and side projects. Plus, despite how much she hated to admit it, she would need someone to care for her before and after the pups were born. 

"You don't have to go home, unnie." Wendy spoke. "You can stay with my family in Canada. I could call them and have you on a plane as early as tomorrow morning. " Seeing Irene struggling to pull her last suitcase off of the bed, Seulgi moved to help her and placed it gently on the floor. 

"That's sweet," Irene sighed, avoiding her members' eyes. "But I can't. I still belong to my bongwan. If I leave, someone will come find me. It's better I go to them on my own accord."

Joy pursed her lips in silent contemplation. "There is another way." The heads of the other four simultaneously turned to face her. "Why don't you take one of us for a mate? They can't force anything on you if you're already mated, correct?"

"I can't, not while I'm pregnant." 

A little ember of rage burning in the pit of Yeri's stomach grew into a roaring inferno. "But you'll be free!" She exclaimed. "Isn't that what you want!? It's the whole reason you're even here to begin with! Why are you so set on denying yourself the one thing you've ever asked for!?"

"Because it's unfair to the pups and it's unfair to you!" Irene snapped in the loudest voice the others had heard her use in a long time. "How could you stand there and expect me to be so selfish as to deny two of my own children a fighting chance!?" She shouted towards Yeri making the younger girl hang her head. "You all deserve your freedom just as much as I do! You deserve to mate who you love and who am I to take that away from you?" Her dongsaengs had no words to rebuttal. Instead, they looked down at the floorboards. It wasn't often they got into arguments of this magnitude and no one was sure how to move forward peacefully. With a heavy sigh, Irene turned away. "I'm going to sleep. I'll see you all in the morning." Taking the hint, Wendy gently urged the others to walk away and pulled Irene's bedroom door closed behind them. 

Even after the door was closed, Yeri continued to stare straight ahead with a waver in her voice. "I didn't mean-"

"I know." Wendy murmured, pulling the distraught maknae in for a hug. "Let's just give her some space." While the others slowly dispersed, Yeri managed to take a deep, trembling breath past her quivering lip, clinging on to Wendy's arm like it was her sinking ship's last life preserver.

* * *

Later that night, Wendy and Seulgi lay side by side - staring up at Wendy's ceiling fan slowly stirring the air around them. The sun had long since set, but neither of them bothered to turn on a light. Instead, they just stayed together in gloomy silence. Their minds were empty, but their hearts were full of what felt like hardened concrete.

Soon they would be continuing on as only four. Without their leader, they felt lost - even while she was still right next door. A flock without a shepherd was hardly a flock at all. More like a bunch of lost sheep roaming around and praying not to get eaten by the big, bad wolf. Irene had always been their rock to stand on when the flood waters ran high. Now they were losing her - possibly for good - with their unborn pups right along with her. 

Seulgi rolled her head to the side, staring at Wendy's profile illuminated by moonlight. "You okay?" 

Wendy released a long sigh. "No." She swallowed her tears and managed to continue. "How did all of this spiral so far out of control? She's going back to Daegu in a few days - probably marrying Bogum not long after that. What does that mean for the pups? Unnie's happiness?" Seulgi quirked her lips and stared back up at the ceiling fan. In truth, such events would be the end of the line for the pups. If an omega was mated mid-pregnancy, their body would naturally terminate any child not belonging to their new partner. The main event of any marriage was the night of the honeymoon - the night where newlyweds exchanged mating marks. If things continued the way they were, Irene and Bogum would have no choice but to mark one another and Irene would be scarred with the unbearable pain of losing a child. 

But at this point, what other option did they have? Sure, one of them could mate Irene to get her parents and bongwan off her back, but two of the triplets would be aborted as collateral in the process. As a mother, Irene could never bring herself to sacrifice her children just to ensure her own safety and it was for that reason alone she had no choice but to return back to Daegu and hope her parents would show mercy. Irene was walking down a dark corridor, walls on either side, with no choice but to move forward and open the door leading to inevitable suffering. It was a horrible thing.

"Watching you with her..." Wendy murmured, successfully snaring Seulgi's attention again. "You're so good with her. You know everything about her. If she could choose a mate out of the four of us, I'm sure she'd choose you." The blonde's brown eyes flickered away from their original point of focus. "There's no way she'd settle for someone like me."

"Someone like you?"

"Look at me, unnie! Then look at _you_! You're pretty, athletic, charismatic, good in bed, not to mention talented! It's no wonder she's still kind of into you."

Not caring to hear Wendy verbally beat herself up any longer, Seulgi spoke. "What makes you say that? I have my own downfalls, Seungwan-ah. I'm not perfect. If I was, maybe then I would still be with her and none of this would've happened in the first place."

"Your kiss..." Wendy sniffled and dried her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt. "The other day. It was too real to be 'just friends.'"

"But it didn't mean anything!" Seulgi insisted adamantly. "It was just the heat of the moment! Yeah, I loved her once, but neither of us feel that way about each other now!" She paused and noticed the heartbroken expression on Wendy's face despite the dark state of the room. Seulgi had finally opened her eyes to the undeniable truth staring her dead in the eye. "You love her." She murmured. "Don't you."

The room fell into silence for a moment but it was soon cut by a bitter snort. "What does it matter?" Wendy grumbled. "She'll be long gone before I can work up the courage to tell her. I missed my chance, not that I even had one to begin with." Seulgi let out a sigh through the nose, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. She felt like such an asshole for fucking Irene right in front of her face as if to say 'look what I have that you don't.' She had been so focused on mending her own relationship with Irene that it rendered her completely blind to the pure infatuation pouring out of Wendy's eyes every time she saw the raven.

Suddenly, everything made sense to Seulgi.

"You should tell her."

Wendy's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull, her neck straining to get a better look at the woman still lying beside her. "Are you crazy!? No way! She's getting married!" The flustered beta whisper-yelled in case Irene could over hear. "Besides, even if she wasn't, she'd still shoot me down anyway. A beta isn't a worthy match for a prime omega. Not to mention the fact that we're both girls..." She spared a glance down at her crotch. "... technically."

"Times are changing, Seungwan-ah." Seulgi assured her. "The Baes are unfortunately falling behind. If you have feelings for her, you should speak now or forever hold your peace. At least then ten years from now you won't find yourself wondering what could've been if you had just worked up the courage to say something."

"... But what about you?"

"Our relationship was too toxic to salvage. And while I may not love her the same way I used to, I'm still protective over her - especially now that she's the mother of my son." Seulgi stated, her voice suddenly turning firm and steady. "When we broke up, I decided to take her appa's place in making sure she ends up with the right person to spend the rest of her life with. I always kind of figured she'd end up with a beta since she's terrified of alphas, so since you're here as a suitor, I still want to try." The alpha turned her head to look at Wendy - a discerning and cold look in her elegant eyes as she began their odd, sincere form of role play. "Do you _really_ love her?" Wendy swallowed, but subtly nodded. Seulgi's intimidating father-like features softened into a warmer color. "Good. Then promise me you'll love her in all of the ways I couldn't." The room went silent as Wendy contemplated whether or not the other girl was serious. She got her answer in the form of Seulgi lifting her head, gazing up at her expectantly. "Promise?"

Wendy smiled, wiping the rest of her tears away. "I promise."

* * *

After her little late-night pep talk with Seulgi ended with the latter falling asleep mid-conversation, Wendy decided to turn in for the night as well. Heaven knows she would need all of the rest she could get to handle saying goodbye tomorrow. She had to admit, it felt good to finally get her feelings towards Irene off her chest. Even though the thought of her being in Bogum's arms someday soon or never getting the chance to see her leader again stung Wendy's heart with all of the agony from a thousand angry hornets. 

As she reached for her door knob, a lavender-colored sticky note caught her eye. Curious, she reached up and pulled it off of her door, squinting to read the words as best she could in a darkened hallway.

_Meet me in the hall bathroom at 11._

_-Irene_


	22. XXII

She waited for the sink water to turn lukewarm before sticking her hands in, rubbing them together under the stream. Irene looked herself dead in the eye through the mirror, picking at every little flaw she could find in her own appearance. She looked tired, but not the usual 'long day of schedules' type of tired. This exhaustion was her body's way of telling her she was pregnant, stressed, and sleep deprived - not that she needed the reminder. With a heavy sigh, she bent at the hip as best she could and splashed a bit of water on her face to calm her nerves. 

"Unnie?" After patting her face dry with her towel, Irene glanced through the mirror to find the subject of her thoughts walking in, closing the door behind her. Wendy folded her arms awkwardly across her chest, dodging her now ex-leader's eyes. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes." Irene said with a heavy sigh, turning around to face the younger girl with her back against the sink. Wendy could see the physical evidence of what worry, fear, and sleepless nights were doing to Irene.

"Can't sleep?"

"No, no. I just can't seem to get comfortable anymore." Irene muttered with a light-hearted chuckle, rubbing her sizable midriff for emphasis. "But that's not why I called you here."

"Is everything okay?" Wendy inquired, taking note of Irene's unusual behavior. "You're not sore, are you?" The girl took a few steps forward. Irene looked down at her belly where Wendy's caring hands came to rest. The room went densely quiet though not awkwardly so. There was a specific feeling behind it that held the weight of significance, dangling it above their heads like an anvil waiting to drop.

It was the calm before the storm.

"I'm going to say something," Irene began. "And it might seem stupid, but it's been on my mind for a while now and since I may never get a chance to see you again..."

"Okay..."

The words clung to the tip of Irene's tongue but refused to be set free. With a deep breath in through the nose, she managed to work up enough courage to let her deepest, darkest feelings be known. "I- _love_ you."

"I love you too." Wendy said with a smile, obviously taking the wrong interpretation of her words.

Frustrated with the younger's lack of understanding, Irene ran a hand through her hair. "That's not what I meant." Wendy's sweet smile faded to a frown. "I'm _in_ love _with_ you, Seungwan-ah."

Of all of the things that could have possibly come out of her unnie's mouth in that moment, Wendy was not expecting that. Irene was truly too good to be true yet there she was; holding her bandaged heart out in her hands for her to either take gently in her own or throw to the floor and step on. The beta's circuitry went haywire, not really sure how to respond to such a left-fielded confession.

"U-uhh..."

Feeling that all too familiar ache in her chest, Irene turned towards the door with a hand over her sternum, trying to dust off her dignity as best she could. "Never mind. Just- forget I said anything."

"Wait." A firm hand prevented Irene from fleeing out of humiliation with a heart that was breaking. "... Why me? Is it because I've been taking care of you? Maybe you're subconsciously trying to imprint..."

"Stop trying to rationalize my feelings for you!" Irene snapped, eyes turning glossy. "If you don't feel the same way, you could've just said-!" All of those butterflies Irene felt four years ago came fluttering back in an uproar as Wendy's soft lips swallowed the rest of her words. A single tear trailed down Irene's cheek as she only fell further and further in love with the quirky Canadian girl she met so many years ago. A soft sob made Wendy separate from the kiss, resting her forehead against Irene's as a few tears of her own stained her cheeks. "Seungwan-ah..."

"I'm sorry. It's just... I guess I never thought you would feel the same way." The duo stood like that in silence, their hands intertwining at their sides. "What rotten luck." Wendy chuckled through teary eyes. "You tell me you love me and now you'll be leaving me." The atmosphere fell back into a state of silence, though this time it was warm yet tragic all the same.

"Sorry for telling you in a bathroom," Irene chuckled airily. "It's not the most romantic place in the world, but..."

"You could've confessed in a _sewer_ and I'd be just as grateful." Wendy replied, placing a chaste kiss to Irene's forehead before letting hers connect with it again. "So... what do we do now?"

"I don't know." Irene whispered. "I love you, I really do. But my parents would never approve of you which is why I think we should leave this as it is."

Wendy laughed sadly to mask her heartsick tears. "The typical forbidden love cliche." The duo stood like that; foreheads touching, hands locked while sniffling out their sorrows to each other. Wendy gently poked Irene's stomach with her free thumb making them both crack a smile in spite of themselves.

"Well. Since you'll be leaving me in the morning, what do you say we make the most of tonight?" Irene furrowed her brows in confusion, but let Wendy drag her out of the bathroom.

They stifled their giggles and shushed one another as they jogged down the hall, Irene squealing a little when Wendy playfully slung her into her bedroom and closed the door behind them. She immediately paced towards the omega, taking her hands in hers again before initiating another kiss. The infamous fireworks show everyone seemed to talk about was more beautiful and more spectacular than they could've ever imagined.

"Let me make love to you." Wendy panted. "For the first and last time." Shimmering brown eyes gazed at the beta with all of the love and affection in the world.

"Okay."

* * *

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, Irene rested her head on her lover's outstretched arm - the blonde's hand scratching her shoulder absent-mindedly. In just a few short hours, she would have to say her goodbyes at the train station and leave her only memories of ever having a true family behind. 

A few sad sniffles caught Irene's attention. She rolled her heavy body over with a grunt and while Wendy's tears couldn't be seen in the blueish tint of early-morning, she knew they were there nonetheless. A tiny hand came up to brush a few of the drops away making Wendy chuckle.

"Sorry," She sniffled. "It feels like we just got together and now we're already breaking up. Four hours just wasn't enough." Irene pursed her lips, feeling an overwhelming sense of remorse as well. Although she didn't regret declaring her love for the girl, she did feel guilty of leaving the poor girl heartbroken. While Irene continued to soak up a good image of the blonde's features, Wendy's hand reached over to pet her tummy. "Yesterday marked six months." She muttered sadly. "You're well on your way now." The prime rested a hand over Wendy's, rubbing it gently.

It was so unfair. Why should Irene have to abide by her bongwan's demands simply to preserve the sanctity of ancient pure-bred unions? If she loved Wendy, shouldn't that be enough? While Wendy's pup was considered a mutt, Seulgi was a prime and Joy was a member of a bongwan in her own right. However, while Joy may be an alpha under a bongwan, she and Seulgi were both _female_ alphas nonetheless. The litter was a lineage not backed by the standards of inter-clan marriage thus they were deemed scraps of the otherwise pure bloodline and would be sentenced to rot. Irene was already hardening her heart to contend with the fact that her pups wouldn't make it. They would never live to see their first sunrise, and while it killed her inside, Irene put up a good front to spare the others of their misery. 

"Let me go with you."

The faint mumble elicited more than just a few questions.

Irene gazed at her in bewilderment. "What?"

"Let me go with you," Wendy repeated with a hopeful twinkle in her eye. "Back to Daegu. Maybe we can talk some sense into your parents and-" A cold hand pressed against her cheek cut her hopeful ramblings short. 

"I want to believe that, Seungwan-ah, but..." Irene sighed. 

"It could work!" Wendy insisted, still in denial. "It has to work! It..." Her lover's eyes looked up at her in sorry defeat. "... Please..." Irene tucked her head, curling her naked form further into Wendy's side. She had already given up all hope she once had in saving their pups from the inevitable. All that was left was a long, strenuous waiting game. Warm tears welled up in Wendy's eyes. "No..."

"I'm so sorry." Irene whispered into her chest.

* * *

At long last, the fateful moment of Irene's departure was upon them.

The other members helped carry a few of her belongings onto the platform, hugging their leader goodbye one by one. "We'll miss you." Joy tearfully croaked into Irene's ear. The younger girl's gentle aroma of fresh green apples lulled the little kicks in her womb. The latter managed a smile though her eyes were wet with mourning, pulling away from the taller girl's embrace to accept the pathetic vision that was a sobbing Seulgi's. 

"We'll make you proud." Seulgi said while gasping for air, voice laden with sadness.

Irene chuckled, rubbing the bear's back gently. "I know you will." Seulgi eventually let go, waving her hands in front of her eyes while Yeri took her turn to speak her last words. However, she could do nothing more than cry and stare at the woman who practically raised her. There was so much she had to say - to thank her for - but her mind drew up a blank. Irene gave the maknae a tight-lipped smile, fixing a strand of her hair the way she usually did when she noticed something out of place. "You've grown so much." She cooed. "I'm proud to have a woman like you for a daughter." Yeri's lip trembled as she reached out for a hug, burying her face in Irene's raven locks. 

" _Please_ tell me this is all just a dream." She plead. "If it is, I promise I'll never be a brat to you again."

Irene chuckled, combing her fingers the younger girl's hair softly. "We both know that's a lie." Her snide remark garnered a few smiles, but it wasn't enough to truly lighten the mood.

The intercoms announced Irene's train would finish boarding soon, prompting her to collect her things in preparation for the hardest part of all. However, before she could turn back and say goodbye to Wendy, a pair of familiar lips beat her to it. While Joy and Yeri's expressions changed to those of shock, Seulgi just smiled, rocking her body back and forth in place. Older passengers and staff shot them disapproving glances, but in that moment, neither of them cared. Their lips separated with a loud smooching sound; Wendy's hands cradling Irene's jaw.

"I'll write to you every day if that's what it takes."

Irene giggled, resting her own hand over one of her partner's. "Then I'll wait outside for the mail everyday," She cooed, pressing a quick peck to Wendy's cheek. "If that's what it takes."

The remaining members of Red Velvet watched as Irene hauled her things on board with the help of a nearby station attendant - having seen she was pregnant- and waved them all goodbye one last time. The intercoms announced the train's departure, the doors simultaneously sliding closed as the engine roared to life. As the train slowly made its way down the track, Irene continued peeking through the window, waving for as long as she could until she no longer had a clear view of the family she left behind.

"Unnie! Don't go!" Yeri wailed after her, chasing the train for a few extra paces before stopping to watch it make its way towards the end of the platform. A sudden figure sprinting past her made her jump. 

"Seungwan-ah! What are you doing!?" Ignoring Seulgi's distant call and the attendants shouting after her, Wendy chased after the train as quickly as she could. Once she spotted an opening, she carefully leaped off of the platform and landed safely on board the train. Catching on to what she was doing, Seulgi grabbed Joy and Yeri by the arms and followed suit. They managed to hop onto to the caboose just in time before the train carried on its journey southward. "What the hell is she thinking!? She could've gotten herself killed!"

"You did it too." Joy stated with a chuckle. 

Meanwhile, Wendy walked through train car after train car in search of the one woman who ever loved her. Passengers shot her odd glances, wondering why there was a restless beta wandering around the train. Her heart soared when she saw a figure that looked like Irene's, walking up to her and resting a hand on her shoulder only to find it wasn't the girl she was looking for. She bid her humblest apologies and carried on her way, scanning the sea of people for a tiny raven woman with the face of an angel and a tell-tale bump protruding out of her clothes.

Her eyes landed on a familiar body she was sure was Irene's, speedily walking up to her and wrapping her in a tight hug. Obviously startled, the omega nearly jumped out of her skin until she recognized the perpetrator's scent.

"Seungwan-ah!?" She whisper-yelled, brutally beating the poor girl once she confirmed her own suspicions. "What are you doing here!? You're supposed to be on your way home by now! Did you jump the train!?"

Wendy held her by the arms and smiled. "Maybe, but you were worth it!"

"I love you, you idiot!" Irene chuckled, planting a kiss to her lips but following it up with another harsh slap to the arm. "Wait, what about the others?"

"We're here too." Both women snapped her heads around, finding the other three lumbering down the aisle, Joy nursing her bleeding elbow where it got caught on the railing. Wendy shot her same-age friend a 'wtf' glance. "What? Did you think we were just gonna let you hop on a train and meet Joohyun unnie's parents without some sort of backup?"

"Yeah, we're a family now," Joy piped up with a smile. "We're all in this together." 

Irene grinned from ear to ear, chuckling at the sudden change of events. "You're all idiots." The others giggled, falling into a group hug that garnered a few more looks from nearby strangers. "Just couldn't let me go, could you?" She teased to hide the swelling of her heart.

"Yeah, but you love us." Yeri said while patting the top of Irene's stomach.

Irene smiled, ruffling the maknae's hair. "That I can't deny."


	23. XXIII

The scenery around them became more and more familiar to Irene - dreadfully so. She swallowed the bus-sized lump in her throat, resting a hand over her belly protectively. She began to wonder if she should've taken Wendy up on her offer and run away to Canada or at least created some sort of belly armor out of cushions.

Noticing her seat neighbor's rather obvious state of nervousness, Wendy rested a hand over Irene's and pushed her own fingers through the gaps between those of her forbidden sweetheart. It appeared to have done the trick. The nice gesture had calmed her down physically, but not enough to ease her conscience. Thankful for her efforts in making her feel better, Irene rested her head on Wendy's shoulder and sighed, trying to calm her racing heart.

When the taxi rolled its way down a long, half-circle driveway, four out of five members craned their necks to look out the window. While it wasn't on par with a mansion - like Wendy's residence, for instance - it was a fairly pricey piece of real estate nonetheless. It stood alone behind groves of trees and about 200 meters of front yard, hidden from the neighbors and any cars passing by on the road which suited the ever reclusive Bae family's personalities quite well. A figure of a well-dressed man standing at the end of the driveway came into view, but it wasn't the one Irene was afraid of.

Bogum flashed them a warm, charming smile as the taxi pulled to a squeaky stop. While Wendy took the liberty of paying the grouchy driver, Bogum opened the door for the pretty passengers like the gentleman he was, taking a few of Irene's belongings and setting them off to the side. When a very pregnant Irene was safely out of the car, he made a gesture to link arms with her.

He too noticed the pale, greenish hue to Irene's coloration. "Are you ready?" 

Irene sighed, wrapping her arm around Bogum's open elbow. "As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

The old, elegant grandfather clock sitting in the corner ticked loudly, filling the void of dead silence occupying the otherwise full room. Joy looked around at the variety of animal pelts and textile fabrics decorating the interior of the home and grimaced. Mrs. Bae had a bit of an obsession with furs and gaudy leopard print clothing while Mr. Bae was a competitive poacher in his glory days, judging by the framed photo hanging over the mantle of him posing proudly with a black rhino he had undoubtedly shot. The couple were perfect for one another; both narcissists, both abusive, both didn't give two shits about preserving endangered wildlife. It's no wonder Irene was afraid of animals. 

Mr. Bae's one good eye critically scanned the additional faces seated on his living room couch and scowled while Mrs. Bae rubbed his gargantuan back. Irene could feel her heart crawling up her throat and swallowed it down, adjusting her clothes to better hide her stomach. She thanked every star in the sky that her father had lost his sense of smell in a gas barrage during his time in the military. Otherwise, he would have surely been able to pick up on her pups' scents and it would all be over before it even began. To better sell their little lie, Bogum placed a hand over the swell and patted it gently. Mr. Bae's frown slowly flipped into a semi-smile. The man let out a single, loud chortle that rumbled in his throat like thunder.

"Bogum, my boy! I see you truly are a man!"

"Pardon, sir?" 

"You do this old man proud; keeping your forefathers' legacies alive through my darling daughter." The man paused before continuing. "Well? What is it? Is it a boy?" Bogum and Irene exchanged a glance, the latter ducking her head lowly to avoid her father's eye.

"It's a litter, appa alpha. Triplets. Two girls and one boy." Her members turned to see his reactions, surprised to find a rather enthusiastic expression on his war-torn and leathery face.

"My, my." He whispered. "Now isn't that something." His face turned rather conniving awfully fast which raised several alarms in the minds of her members. Irene knew that look. It was the look he gave all of his assets when he was appraising their value. In his mind, she had just gone from a million-dollar investment and shot up to a billion-dollar brood mare in the blink of an eye. Surely he was regretting his decision not to get the most bang for his buck. It was common practice for bongwans with prime omegas born unto them to share the gifts they were bestowed. If she had presented on time, it was assumed to be fact that Mr. Bae would have proudly passed his prime daughter around the aristocratic circle until she was no longer capable of bearing children - at which point, he would cast her away on behalf of her forced promiscuity staining his family's image.

Mrs. Bae got out of her place beside her husband and approached her daughter. Without so much as a polite gesture asking her to move, she wedged herself between Irene and Wendy, forcing the beta to scoot away or risk being crushed by the older woman's unnatural assets. Irene held her breath as her mother's witch-like hands caressed her abdomen - her nails sharp and painted a bold shade of red. 

"There now, Joohyun-ah." She cooed softly while rubbing her hands all over Irene's swollen stomach, moving them up to curiously weigh her bust. As awkward and uncomfortable as it may be, it wasn't unusual in the slightest. Her mother had always been handsy when it came to her eldest child's perfect, doll-like figure. Seeing it laden with child only made her even more invasive, especially as a fellow omega herself. When she was through playing with her daughter's bountiful breasts, she applied pressure to her stomach making the young mother groan from the ache it caused and subsequently put her pups' true sires on edge. "You look absolutely _radiant_. You would do very well to stay big for him." The woman sighed, twirling her daughter's dark tresses around her bony fingers out of envy. "This is what it is to be an omega in her youth." The members of Red Velvet cringed, watching from the sidelines as she kissed her eldest child's cheek, leaving an oily, red lipstick mark behind.

"You should give us more sons in your next litters." Mr. Bae grumbled to the young man he believed to be his grandchildren's sire from across the room.

"I'm sure there will be more, dear." His wife flashed the handsome young man a seductive smirk. "You two just couldn't wait for the honeymoon, hm? I don't blame you, dear. If she's anything like me, she must be a real treat for you in bed." Mrs. Bae purred flirtatiously, looking the male alpha up and down making Bogum - and quite frankly, everyone else around him - nearly throw up in his mouth.

"Mmm!" He hummed with a forced smile, not trusting himself to speak for a split second. "Y-yes, she's wonderful."

"Then keep those pups coming." Mr. Bae husked throatily, snapping his fingers loudly to beckon his wife's presence at his side again. "I didn't drop thirty grand just to be disappointed." Wendy's ears perked up.

"Pardon?" Bogum replied with a look of confusion. 

"Well, we wanted to give you both a little nudge in the right direction, so we had the sweetest waitress put a little maca in Joohyun-ah's drink as a pick-me-up." Mrs. Bae giggled like that wasn't the most deranged thing she could have possibly done to get Bogum and Irene in bed together.

"Wait, maca..." Bogum thought, trying to recall where he had heard such a word before. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "You gave her an aphrodisiac!?"

"Mhm! Clever, right?" The members of Red Velvet were horrified - Irene especially so. No wonder her libido had been so astronomically high. Not only was she in heat, but she was also working through the effects of a root that amplified her sex drive.

"If she _is_ a prime, then she'll have no trouble stomaching larger litters if you hold her down long enough." Mr. Bae laughed at his own sick joke, lifting a nearby beer can to his lips with his little trophy wife under his arm. Bogum visibly shifted in discomfort, but managed a polite smile. Still ignoring the presence of his other guests, the mountain of a man opened his mouth to speak once more; leaning forward in his seat. "You know, son. I have a buddy up in Belgium with a prime at home - _beautiful_ ticket, that one. He mounted her daily and filled her up with _nine_." Irene swallowed thickly while her father bellowed with laughter. "Now _that_ is a real man."

"Wouldn't that hurt her?" Mr. Bae turned his head and looked a concerned Wendy up and down judgmentally.

Mrs. Bae scoffed with distaste. " _I_ , for one, would be _thrilled_ to carry big litters for _my_ husband if I could!" She sneered, hugging Mr. Bae's tree trunk of an arm almost protectively while shooting daggers at Wendy. "I would _never_ deny my husband what he wants, though I wouldn't expect a _beta_ to understand." Wendy pursed her lips and stared down at the ground, quietly jogging her leg to subdue her festering anger. Mrs. Bae turned to her daughter with a whiny pout, ready to guilt trip her into getting what she wanted. "Joohyun-ah, why can't you give _us_ litters like that? Maybe if you let him mount you one more time-"

"She's already expecting three beautiful pups!" Joy shouted, having reached her boiling point. "Why can't you just be grateful?" The Baes looked appalled and offended by such an outburst.

"I beg your pardon!?" Mrs. Bae gasped while Irene's father pushed his wife's arms away from his own, rising out of his seat. 

Sensing the impending danger approaching, Seulgi whispered from her place at her side. "Bow, Sooyoung-ah." But Joy did no such thing. Instead, she stood her ground; bravely putting herself between the lumbering giant of an alpha and his daughter - the mother of her pup.

The man bent forward to belittle her and assert his dominance, grumbling in her face so close Joy could see her own reflection in his blind eye. "You may be a Juksan Park, but you have no authority here." He rumbled. "What I expect from my daughters is my business. If I want her to swell until she bursts, then by my name, that's what she'll do."

Joy squinted her eyes. "You're disgusting." 

The man chuckled, standing back to his full height. "Maybe so. But I have a daughter whose pedigree is worth more than your life carried in on a silver platter."

"Sooyoung-ah!" Wendy hissed through clenched teeth, trying to get her to sit down. Joy's full lips curved into a cheeky smile. Turning to a rather concerned-looking Irene, the alpha leaned down, gently tilted the woman's chin upwards, and smoothly initiated a kiss full of so much passion it made Irene melt with a moan. Bogum gulped beside them, moving to place a nearby pillow over his lap and nervously looked away. The prime's parents watched the display with wide eyes, utterly flabbergasted by such an audacious exchange taking place in their presence.

When she was through proving her point, Joy pulled away; Irene instinctively and hungrily chasing after her ruby lips for more. The young alpha glanced over her shoulder and made it a point to tauntingly lick her mouth free of their precious daughter's saliva. Having accepted the fact that they were no longer keeping the truth ambiguous thanks to Joy, Wendy was relieved to finally be given the opportunity to wrap her arm around her lover's shoulders and pull her closer.

"What is this?" Mr. Bae snarled. Bogum ducked his head and diverted his eyes out of fear.

"The pups aren't Bogum-ssi's, sir." Seulgi finally spoke to break the silence. "They're ours."

Mr. Bae's head snapped to stare his eldest child down with all of the hatred he could muster. "There seems to have been a misunderstanding." He growled with a sinister dullness in his eye, the liquid courage in his gut quickly building his frustration. "When we said you should be pregnant by spring, we meant for a male alpha - Bogum. Not a deformed mutt, a rejected Juksan Park, and a prime she-heathen." Joy and Seulgi furrowed their brows, moving in a little closer to Irene as the man paced closer. "If you have any interest in remaining a part of this family, I'd suggest you get rid of these unhallowed spawn." He poked Irene's belly for emphasis making her grunt and hold her hands protectively over her womb.

Wendy piped up. "Sir, with all do respect, these pups are still your daughter's! Your own flesh and blood!" 

"Those are no grandchildren of mine." He grumbled lowly. "A true omega, prime or not, carries pups belonging only to her mate. Seeing as how _it_ spread its legs for the likes of you three, I'd say it's hardly an omega at all." When his degrading murmurs didn't heed a response, the unmanageable anger in his chest erupted. "I knew we should've sold you when you were ripe! I didn't raise you to become a breeder slut!" Before anyone could do anything to stop it, Mr. Bae's firm hand smacked his eldest daughter's cheek with a sharp crack making her sway dizzily and stagger towards the floor as her vision flickered white. Bogum and Mrs. Bae tried to subdue him, but to no avail. The man roared with seething anger, trying to work his way closer to dazed Irene and Yeri who tried her best to help her unnie not slip into a concussion.

Amid the chaos and rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins, Seulgi noticed the man's sturdy fist clenched at his side, ready to maliciously sink into his rejected daughter's tender belly and made a desperate move to block the hit when another fist suddenly collided with the man's jaw, knocking his head sideways. Three members' eyes widened in shock as petite Wendy gave her hand a shake; a few of her fingers hanging broken and limp, her knuckles turning purple from the impact. 

"Why you little-" Realizing she was in way over her head, Wendy squeaked and jumped out of the way before the man could clip her back.

"Take Joohyun-ssi outside!" Bogum grunted over to Yeri, still trying to hold back the raging alpha with all he had in him. 

"I can't! She's too-!"

"I got you." Seulgi breathed, taking Yeri's place and lifting the child-heavy omega's upper body. The duo quickly and quietly carried Irene and the vulnerable pups inside of her out of harm's way while the others were left to deal with Mr. Bae's anger issues. They camped out in the bushes outside in case Irene's father pursued them, checking her to make sure she wasn't too badly injured. "Did he get her stomach?" Seulgi inquired, lifting Irene's shirt on the hunt for any signs of contact.

"No, just her head."

"I'm okay." Irene murmured with her eyes still screwed shut in a pained grimace. "Just a headache."

"Just don't go to sleep, unnie." Seulgi said, patting Irene's pale cheeks gently.

Bogum, Joy, and Wendy came running out of the house - Wendy on the phone with the police while the former urged the trio hiding in the shrubbery to follow them towards the street. With a strained grunt, Seulgi hoisted Irene up on her back and carried her army style with Yeri sticking close beside her to make sure she didn't fall.

Once they were a safe enough distance away from the house, Bogum pulled off his expensive coat and spread it out on the grass for Irene to lay on. The omega grumbled from the throbbing pressure in her skull, but assured them she was alright nonetheless. Bogum reached around her neck to remove his family's prized heirloom, throwing it as far as he could, watching it soar in an arc and fall to the ground a good fifty meters away. 

"The police are on their way." Wendy panted, tucking her phone safely in her back pocket and leaning forward to brush some of Irene's hair away from her face.

"How's your stomach, Noona?" He inquired, pressing the back of his hand to the older woman's forehead.

"Fine." She sighed. "I'm okay, really. Just a little shaken up, I guess."

"I bet." He chuckled.

"What's his deal, anyway?" Yeri grumbled, glaring at the house. "I knew your parents were deranged, but they're hanging on the boarder of insanity."

"Appa's an old war veteran," Irene murmured, slowly sitting up. "Ever since he came home, he hasn't been able to get control of his anger. As an omega, I became his own personal punching bag - or at least I was, anyway." Her eyes trailed over to Wendy's broken hand. Her eyes widened in horror, reaching out to gently nurse it in her own hands. "What happened!?"

"She socked the loser in the face." Joy stated proudly, giving Wendy a pat on the back. "I'd expect something like that from me or Seulgi unnie, but she got a pretty clean jab in." Her lips quirked into a giddy smile. "You must mean a hell of a lot to her." Irene flashed her blushing lover a shy, sweet smile. She gently kissed her injuries, continuing to hold her hand even as they moved on to discuss what they should do next.

"So... what now?" Wendy inquired, nervously taking a look around. "I don't think we should stay too long."

Bogum fished a hand into his back pocket and retrieved a pair of house keys, placing them in the hand that wasn't supporting Irene's gravid weight. The omega looked up at him in confusion. "Since we were planning on doing the whole engagement charade, I figured you'd need a place to live. You know, make the story more believable while not forcing you to _actually_ live with me. I have a little bachelor pad on the east side of Seoul." Bogum explained, giving Irene's belly a friendly pat. "You're free to stay there for as long as you need to until you can get back on your feet again."

"Are you serious?" Irene breathed in disbelief. "You really don't have to-"

"I want to." He said with a warm smile. "I mean, you can't stay here, and you'll need someone to look after you." He turned his head to look at the other four. "There's plenty of space if you girls decide you want to move in with her. Those pups are going to need a roof over their heads, and since it's just sitting there empty at the moment, I wanted to do you a solid." A huge smile spread across Irene's face, thankful tear drops building in the corners of her eyes. She pulled the man in for a tight hug.

"Thank you so much."

"Hey, don't mention it." He chuckled, pulling away and helping Seulgi get her safely on her feet. The roaring of police sirens getting closer caught everyone's attention. "I'll wait here and talk to them." He volunteered. "You ladies go get Joohyun-ssi's things. I'll drive you home."

Home.

Irene _really_ liked the sound of that.


	24. XXIV

"Here we are! Home sweet home." Joy announced, twisting the keys out of the lock while the others helped move Irene's things inside. Having noticed Irene carrying a rather hefty box in on her hip, Wendy was quick to offer up her chivalrous services.

"Here, let me get that for you." 

"It's okay," Irene assured her with a giggle as melodic as a bell. "It's not too heavy." 

"You still shouldn't be lifting boxes six months pregnant, sweetheart." 

"But what about your hand? Surely you shouldn't be lifting boxes either." Wendy looked down at her bandaged right hand and chuckled.

"Fair point. But I'll do it anyway." Wendy whispered through a semi-greasy grin, sneaking in a quick peck that made Irene swoon before the others could harass her into humiliation. The prime showed her appreciation through a smile, allowing the crate to slip free from her grip and turning around to take a good look at the living room area.

"What do you think, Joohyun unnie? Think you and the pups can settle down here for a while?" Joy inquired from the foyer. Irene looked up at the vaulted ceilings, unknowingly using her nesting instincts to determine whether or not she deemed the home suitable for child-rearing. Granted, it wasn't much, but it was charming and had everything they needed. Not to mention Bogum was kind enough to let them use it for free. While the shell looked like an average, run-of-the-mill Seoul home, the interior took inspiration from rustic log cabins. There was a built-in fire place and well-kept wooden accents with furnishings that appeared to be left completely untouched since purchase. It was clean, stylish, but cozy.

Irene opened the door to one of the empty spare rooms branching off of the living space and picked it apart piece by piece. It was probably built to be used as a home office, but could easily be made into a lovely nursery or play room. There was soft carpeting - good for a combo between squirming babies and Seulgi's infamous butter fingers - and a fair amount of natural sunlight leaking in through a row of windows running along the far wall. According to the blueprints she had drawn up in her head, there was plenty of space for a crib and a diaper changing station as well as a nest if her inner omega should decide to build one during her last few weeks of pregnancy. It was perfect.

A head poked in with a sly smirk. "The laundry room has a dryer." Irene blushed at the suggestive wink Joy fired her way. The younger chuckled at the older woman's reaction and urged her to follow her back out into the living room.

"This looks a lot like my parents' ski cabin back in Canada." Wendy said while admiring the exposed wooden beams. 

"We get it. You're rich." Joy chuckled, receiving a playful eye-roll from the beta. 

"This is great!" Yeri sighed, plopping down on the couch with her hands resting behind her head. "I might just crash here with you, unnie."

"You're more than welcome to." 

Seulgi observed a dark, wooden bear sculpture set up to compliment the homey cabin aesthetic. "Love the decor." She chuckled. "My little cub should feel right at home." Irene looked up from what she and Joy were doing. She wore an endearing smile at the adorable nickname Seulgi had just given their son.

"Little cub?" 

"Do you not like it? I thought it would be cute..."

"It's perfect." Irene cooed in a voice as sweet and smooth as honey.

Joy beamed over her shoulder. "Look at you, being all sentimental!" 

"I have my moments." Seulgi snorted, wandering off to the other side of the room.

Joy's focus returned to unpacking Irene's multitude of boxes, but her eyes still managed to wander over to the pretty woman working diligently beside her. She was a bit jealous Seulgi had managed to come up with such a cute nickname for her kid so easily while she had spent hours upon hours writing lists of possible baby names. Deciding what a human would be called for the rest of their life was a lot of pressure, but it was also one of the more enjoyable parts of becoming a parent.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" She murmured over to Irene, figuring she should ask for the hell of it. The smaller girl looked up as though she was wracking her brain to recall.

"I guess I haven't really thought about it too much." Joy nodded in understanding. "Have you?"

"Not really." Joy lied. In truth, she wasn't too sure of any of the names she initially liked. They all had great meanings, but she didn't feel that any of them really suited her precious baby girl. She wanted the name to be perfect; just as perfect as her daughter would be. 

"I like Rowoon." Seulgi stated while munching on a bag of salted popcorn she got from the pantry. Irene bobbed her head side to side, rolling the name around in her brain. Eventually she smiled, rubbing her belly thoughtfully.

"Little baby WoonWoon." 

"Woon! Woon!" Seulgi exclaimed to the tune of a train whistle, making the pulling motion with her arm. 

"Awe! That's cute!" Wendy chimed sweetly from the kitchen. The young alpha swallowed her pride and continued unwrapping a few of Irene's more delicate possessions. Now Seulgi had chosen an official name too... _and_ a _second_ nickname! How was she always so good at everything? It was beginning to become frustrating. 

"Wait, so who's surname are the pups taking?" The lounging maknae called from the living room sofa. "Is it Hyunnie's for consistency or the typical sire surname?"

"I guess it'll be the sires'. I'm not even sure if _I'm_ a Bae anymore" Irene stated. "They're all half siblings so technically it'll be correct to say _Kang_ Rowoon, or what not."

A blonde head poked out from around the corner. "Is that really his name now?" 

"I don't know... what do you think?" Irene said, turning around to face Seulgi. The latter put on her signature tight-lipped bear smile, patting her cub's current place of residence. 

"Sounds pretty good to me."

"Kang Rowoon it is! One down, two to go!" Yeri exclaimed like an over-theatrical announcer at a WWE match, fist pumping the air above her head.

"What about you, Seungwan-ah? Any ideas?" Wendy simply shrugged.

"I wanna think on it some more. I'll let you know if I come up with anything." Joy pursed her lips and looked down into the now empty box in front of her. She supposed she would have to wait for the right name also. Her only fear was having to contend with the stress of coming up with a name on the spot when it came time to fill out the birth certificates. That is, assuming she couldn't think of one in the time leading up to the big day. It would be on the sires to write everything out for the pups' official documents since Irene would be too mentally and physically exhausted after being in labor to do it herself. Joy had even been practicing her calligraphy skills just to make sure her handwriting was perfectly legible. 

Her nose picked up the faint scent of jasmine and lavender making her smile. Just like Dr. Song had told them, she had gotten better at picking out her daughter's scent among those of her siblings. Apparently her eomma's rose/vanilla fragrance mixed with her mommy's fresh, green apple aroma somehow blended to make such a lovely, flowery scent. Wendy had told her the pups would be learning how to activate their scent glands in the coming weeks which was why their individual smells would come in bold, brief waves rather than hover in subtlety like before. A low growling noise emanating from the stomach of the woman beside caught her attention. Irene's adorable Dumbo ears burned a deep shade of pink.

"Oop! I think eomma's hungry." Seulgi giggled.

"No worries! I'm already on it." Furrowing her brows, Seulgi peeked around the corner and chuckled. Wendy had been using her time to cook the others a simple lunch with some of the unexpired ingredients she found in the refrigerator and cupboards. 

"Son Seungwan, always one step ahead." Yeri mumbled, patting the top of the tiny woman's head.

"Yeah, yeah, just grab a bowl." She chuckled, stirring the hodgepodge of a warm stew she created.

* * *

Of course, like all good things, their visit eventually had to come to an end. Billowing storm clouds of an early July rain shower moved over the house forebodingly as the members loaded up in the company's van in preparation to leave. Irene stood on the front porch with her arms folded across her chest as the winds had begun to pick up. Her new flame closed the back of the van, marching up the steps to hug her goodbye for the night.

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?" Irene nodded into her shoulder. The duo pulled away, but Wendy absolutely refused to leave without landing a kiss to Irene's forehead. "Call us if you need anything." The omega gave another nod, waving goodbye to the maknae line who were practically dangling out of the car windows.

Taking the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the neighbors, the youngest of the bunch called out to her at the top of her lungs. "Don't watch too much porn!" Yeri shouted, cackling along with Joy. Irene shook her head at the duo's antics, watching as the black van drove off and disappeared from sight.

With her members no longer beside her, she already began to feel her loneliness setting in. In all of her years, she had never lived completely alone. While she had her own room in the dorms, there was always someone nearby to offer her comfort. All she had now were three growing pups to keep her company until the others could work out a better living arrangement with SM. A sudden raindrop at her feet startled her and made her look up at the gloomy skies; flickering with bellies full of lightening. She took that as her cue to head inside.

She locked the door behind her, holding the doorframe for support while she slid on her house slippers. The house was quiet and unfamiliar - painfully so. She wasn't familiar with all of the rooms yet or used to the smell of the wood mixed with men's cologne. She figured she should take some time to get herself more acquainted with her new terrarium. She shuffled her way around the house, occasionally flinching as flickers of lightning peeked in through the windows. Wendy had accidentally left the kitchen light on which proved to be quite helpful as, though not admittedly, Irene was too scared to go around turning the rest of the lights on in such a big house by herself. 

A little Tupperware sitting on the island caught her eye. There was a yellow Post-it note attached to the lid with smudged, blue pen ink staining it. She pulled it over towards her, smiling at the familiar handwriting that could only belong to Wendy. 

_Look what I found! Every time you eat one of these, there's a hug from me._

_Love,_ _Wannie :)_

_PS: Sorry if that was too greasy._

Irene couldn't fight off the little smile tugging at the corners of her mouth - nor did she want to. Setting the cute note off to the side for the time being, she carefully opened the container to find a load of tummy-friendly wafer cookies inside. She picked one up and took a bite out of it while moving to stick Wendy's note to the door of the refrigerator... it looked lonely. 

She dusted the crumbs off of her hands, wandering back towards the master bedroom where all of her things were stored. Her hands shuffled through her box of photographs until she found a few she particularly favored. On her way back towards the kitchen, a sudden clap of thunder made her squeak and press a hand over her heart.

_Of all days it could have stormed, mother nature would pick today._

She felt little movements in her belly, running her hand over the space where Joy's pup lived as she padded her way into the kitchen. A few of the photos were held between Irene's pursed lips while she reached to gather all of the magnets into one general, reachable area. She found a sense of comfort in seeing her members' smiling faces, hanging them up one by one for her to look at every day. Suddenly, she didn't feel so sad and alone anymore. She wondered what they were doing at this hour; probably watching movies or sleeping before their schedules.

One last picture was placed between Wendy's note and a photo of Joy and Yeri playing around during their trip to Slovenia. The triplet's sonogram tied her family mosaic together perfectly. Irene smiled, satisfied with her own handiwork. She pictured what it would look like with her children's abstract artworks up there with them someday and felt her heart flutter in her chest. Taking one more cuddle cookie for the road, Irene made her way back towards the bedroom. After such a hectic and eventful day, she was ready to get off her feet for a while and sleep the glumness away. 

She flopped onto the bed like a breaching whale back first making the springs creak underneath her weight. Her eyes watched the shadows made by the blades of the ceiling fan disturb the light reflecting on the walls over and over again with each new rotation. Irene rolled herself over with a little extra determination, reaching for the master light switch beside her nightstand and submerging herself in darkness. She could hear the purr of distant thunder and it made her nervous, but nothing could distract her from the firm kick she felt in her lower right side.

She chuckled, looking down at the spot. "You're a feisty little thing aren't you?" Irene laid her head back against her pillow with a long sigh, closing her eyes. "Just like your mommy." As though he could sense his mother was about to slip into her sacred realm of unconsciousness, another smaller movement woke her up. This time, it was her sleepy son that was to blame. Much needed rest aside, Irene was more than happy to know the pups were doing alright after the hellish nightmare she had put them through earlier that day. "Hello, little cub." She cooed. "How nice of you to finally join us." Her eyes fell closed once more, her hand rubbing smooth, lethargic circles over the straining skin of her abdomen through the material of her sleep shirt. 

Her precious runt still had yet to make her presence known, but due to her small size, it was entirely possible Irene just couldn't feel her moving yet. It was probably for the best, anyway. Since she was positioned right underneath Irene's ribcage, her little kicks were surely going to hurt something fierce.

Like clockwork, as soon as Irene felt comfortable in her position, something had to switch things up; whether it be rolling thunder, spells of loneliness and tears, baby movements, thoughts of her parents and her disownment, or the weight of her own body bearing down on her in some way, shape, or form. With furrowed brows and an exhausted groan, Irene turned onto her left side for what felt like the hundredth time. However, it took her back to her last night in the dorms; the four short hours she got to spend with Wendy, not as her leader, but as her lover. They had truly made the most of the time they were given, though, and the thought of it made Irene smile and burn beet red. Wendy's skin was so warm and soft. It would've been perfect on a rainy night like this; listening to the rain drops tap rhythmically against the roof, cuddled up under the covers together. While she loved all of her members for a multitude of reasons, Wendy was always the one that knew what she needed without even having to ask. Right now, she wanted Wendy's soothing scent, her steady heartbeat, her sweet words.

She just wanted Wendy.

A loud, deafening crack of thunder chasing a bolt of lightning that touched down nearby made her scream and duck her head under the blankets, quivering in fear. Apparently her womb's occupants didn't appreciate such an abrupt and rude awakening. Joy and Seulgi's pups kicked and squirmed, tossing and turning as they were unable to sense their sires' presence to properly sooth themselves making their mother sigh. 

"Eomma's sorry." She whispered. "I guess I'm not as okay with this as I thought I'd be." She wrapped her own arms around her shoulders, pretending they were someone else's as she tried to lull herself back to sleep in spite of the loud storm outside and the restless movements in her body. 

She was in for a long night.


	25. XXV

Irene woke to a beautiful, bright sunny morning. Fallen raindrops from the night before reflected the light of the sun and turned the grass golden, birds singing their merry tunes, an orchestra of cicadas buzzing in the tree outside her bedroom window. She stretched her sore little body with a few noises while trying to get her eyes adjusted to the light in the room. For a moment, she just laid in the sounds of summer. The world sounded so cheerful on that particular morning. It helped lift her spirits. Today would be the gun shot starting the race into her new life and she was eagerly chomping at the bit.

Last night's shower cooled the temperatures down considerably, a feat that had not gone unrecognized by Irene. Being six months pregnant in the scorching inferno of summer was uncomfortable to say the least. The pups' bodies as well as her own were generating more heat the closer they got to delivery. That coupled with the record high temperatures outside was a recipe for a hot, sweaty disaster. Sure, she had lived in Daegu for most of her formative years - an area known for its brutal summers in addition to its pretty residents and their conservative mindset - but while the heat didn't usually bother her too much, the stickiness of sweat did.

The raven tried to lift herself out of bed only to feel like a tortoise stuck on its shell. Embarrassed of the increase in girth around her middle, she grunted with new determination and managed to get her arms in a position where she could heave herself up into a seated position. It was an almost scary experience. She never had trouble with her mobility before - not once. She couldn't begin to imagine how hard things would get on the final stretch. Irene pet her sweaty belly with a sigh, sliding off the edge of the bed to ready herself for a much-needed shower.

The master bathroom was quite luxuriously designed. The tile on the walls of the shower were a warm shade of brown that complimented the golden-hued shades on the lights above the mirror. She was thankful to have a walk-in shower as stepping into a tub was less than ideal for someone in her position.

Taking a deep breath, Irene opened her eyes and took a good, long look at herself in the mirror. She hadn't seen her body in its current state up until that point due to the fear of not liking what she saw. The person staring back at her was practically a stranger. Her petite, well-maintained figure was no more and instead a new, rounder one stood in its place. She had never felt uglier. It put a damper on her self-esteem as expected, though not as badly as she may have initially anticipated. Reminding herself of the reasons why her body was changing so drastically helped her cope. She felt bad for bullying her poor body when it was working so hard to keep her pups healthy and make food for them. This was a natural process - it's what her body was built for. She began to see what people meant when they said becoming a mother was the most beautiful and rewarding thing in the world.

After washing her carry-on baggage down the drain with the grime on her body, Irene ran a towel through her hair on the way to the kitchen. She could hear the pleasant sound of the windchimes hanging on the back patio clanking together in the summer breeze as she passed. It was lovely. While she busied herself with making an omelet to tide her over until lunch, she felt a soft rolling sensation in her lower stomach.

"Good morning." She cooed with the voice of a dove, running her free hand over the inhabited area aimlessly. She had slowly gotten over her manic self-awareness and freely talked to the youths resting in her womb. Soon they would be able to fully recognize the sound of their mother's voice. She wanted to familiarize them with the voices of their sires as well, but she supposed that would be much trickier given their packed schedules and new round of promotions coming up.

The sound of her phone ringing beside her made her jump. She checked the caller ID and smiled, happily answering while continuing to move her eggs around the skillet.

"Hello?"

"Hey, unnie!" Joy's voice chirped, bursting into a fit of giggles with whom she could only assume to be Yeri for whatever reason. It was like music to her ears.

"Good morning," She chuckled warmly while flipping her omelet over the flame in the stove. "Sleep well?"

Joy plopped down on her bed stomach first, swaying her legs in the air behind her. "Well enough. You?"

"More or less."

"It feels so weird talking to you on the phone." Joy said with a light-hearted laugh. "Manager oppa is already talking to the company about letting us move in with you, but they can't reply fast enough. It hasn't even been a full day yet and we already miss you."

"Yeah," Irene agreed. "I think I overestimated myself." On the other end of the line, Joy's chipper smile fell into a worried frown.

"Why? Are you okay?" She suddenly recalled Irene's shared fear of loud noises and popped a follow-up question. "Were you scared of the thunder?"

"No, everything's fine." The omega assured the younger girl. "Just quiet, that's all." Joy wasn't fully convinced but figured she shouldn't push for further details. Irene made a habit of beating around the bush when it came to admitting her weaknesses - namely fear and sadness. She knew Irene had to be feeling a little homesick living in a house by herself for the first time. She could see it now; pregnant Irene curled up into a little ball, sniffling through the night wishing for someone to hold her while the storm raged on but never once admitting to it. The thought of it made Joy's heart ache to the point where she was on the verge of tears.

Out of all five of her members, Joy had always been the most sensitive and while that usually came out in the form of passionate self-defensiveness or sappy, philosophical statements about the world, it carried over onto the wellbeing her members too. Her emotional vein ran deeper for the people she cared about than it ever did for herself. Her confident, flirtatious, sometimes even cocky portrayal of herself was only the outer shell she wore to boost her own self-image. It was there only to protect the soft underbelly of her true character.

"I can stop by after schedules later if you want some company," She said. "I only have the radio show and dance practice today."

"Only if you want to," Or in other words, 'please do I'm desperate!'

"Of course I do! I miss you," Joy chuckled, wiping her teary eyes. "It's not the same doing this without you. Last night we had to do the group greeting for a quick interview and we almost burst into tears when we didn't hear you count. I think Yerim-ah and Seungwan unnie camped out in your old room." Irene pursed her lips and blinked a few of her own tears away to keep them from falling into her breakfast. She told herself to blame it on her hormones, but she couldn't deny that she missed them too. "Anyway, I gotta go. Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

"Alright. Be safe and smile pretty."

"Will do," Joy giggled. "See you tonight!"

Irene smiled and pressed the little red button to end the call. She was excited to have Joy come over later on in the day. They always had a bit of an odd, somewhat awkward relationship with one another but ever since she got knocked up, Joy had been making even more of an effort to stay on Irene's good side. It's not that she didn't like Joy, it's just that the duo's personalities didn't always align well. While Joy was flirtatious and often endearingly obnoxious, Irene preferred a more tame and humble approach. However, in spite of their differences, Irene saw a lot of her younger self in Joy; trying to figure out who she is while unsure of where the winds might take her.

* * *

The front door swung open revealing Joy standing on the porch with an innocent smile on her face. "Hey, Tubby."

"Don't call me that." Irene muttered, holding the door open for her visitor with her arm. Joy kicked off her shoes upon entry and chuckled at the older woman's cold welcome.

"What? I think it’s cute."

Irene shot her warning daggers over her shoulder. It felt like she was challenging Joy to confirm her suspicions and accept death as her punishment. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No," Joy said with a giggling scoff, somewhat humored by the fact that her unnie had taken such offense to the pet name. "I was only teasing."

"Sorry," Irene sighed. "I guess lately I've just been feeling..."

"Moody and self-conscious?" The omega looked down and nodded. In all of the time she'd known Irene, Joy never expected her to think so poorly of her appearance. She was one of the most esteemed visuals of the third generation in kpop. Granted, Irene had always accepted people's compliments and praises on her looks humbly, but if Joy had her face, she would make a statement and wear it proudly. She would probably never go anywhere without a mirror or having taken a photo of herself. Irene didn't even _bother_ getting photographic evidence of her ethereal beauty! It was ironic how the woman never fussed over her appearance. She kept her makeup and hair simple, usually not even worrying about it at all if she could help it. Now, there she was; the drop-dead gorgeous girl that made Joy cry herself to sleep after first laying eyes on her, feeling fat and hideous simply because her shape had changed to accommodate new life.

She joined Irene on the couch, unsure of what to say. The other, smaller raven seemed to be just as clueless. Joy watched Irene's eyes look at her own body with a scowl of frustration and pull the hem of her shirt down a bit in a futile attempt to hide a sliver of pale skin peeking through. Soon she would outgrow her clothes again. She was due for another wardrobe change.

"What made you decide to wear that?" Joy inquired with a reminiscent smile, pointing at the raggedy old MTV hoodie adorning her unnie's body.

Irene shyly pulled her hands into the sleeves and covered her mouth with one; an old habit from her childhood that she never really grew out of. "It's the only thing that still fits me right now." Her sad, wavering tone of voice and the hard swallow that followed broke Joy's heart.

"I think Wednesday's my day off," Joy chirped sweetly, trying to cheer her up. "We can go shopping if you want. I'll help you. It could be our little date together."

"Date?" Joy's face burned bright red.

"I-I meant _day,_ " She sputtered out nervously. "Sorry."

"Okay." Irene cooed so quietly it was almost unintelligible. From there, the conversation full of gloomy subject matter fell into silence. The duo just sat on the couch, enjoying one another's company though neither of them were sure of what to talk about. Unable to stand it any longer, Joy subtly cleared her throat.

"So. You and Seungwannie, huh?" Irene's ears turned pink as she nodded into her hoodie's teal sleeve. "Are you girlfriends or...?"

"I don't know," Irene said with a shrug. "It only started the day before yesterday."

"Oh," Joy breathed while swallowing the frog in her throat. "Do you love her?" She could see a tiny smile peeking out from under Irene's sleeve. The girl nodded.

"Awe," Joy cooed with a sweet but somewhat melancholic smile of her own. "I'm happy for you guys."

"Thanks."

Sudden movement killed another oncoming spell of silence before it could arrive. With a tiny grunt, Irene moved to curl up better on the other side of the couch, her hands still hidden in her sleeves. Even with her big belly poking out of her clothes she still looked so small. She was like a little bundle of mommy material.

Joy couldn't help herself if she tried.

Irene squeaked in surprise as she was gently but assertively pulled closer to Joy so that she could prop her back up against her. She lifted her chin and shot the younger girl a confused but friendly glare. "Sorry. You looked really cute, so I wanted to give you a squeeze." Joy chimed with a bright smile, wrapping her arms around the tiny woman.

"Those classic sire instincts kicking in again?" The omega giggled teasingly, cuddling into the warmth radiating off of Joy's body.

"That, or maybe I just wanna get my hugs in while I can." Before Irene could give her a pity pout, a pair of hands playfully gouged her sides in a tickling gesture.

Irene sighed in defeat, occasionally squirming when Joy's cold hands found a ticklish spot. "I don't have a daughter like you." Her low grumble quickly burst into a fit of her signature loud cackling. "Ya!" She kicked and floundered, begging Joy to show her mercy. The latter just grinned from ear to ear. After a while, she relented having had enough of harassing her eldest unnie for the day.

"Have you eaten dinner yet?" Irene shook her head. "Any cravings?"

"Yes, but they would probably make it onto Yerim-ah's menu." She giggled. Joy made a face of disgust. Anything that could pass the maknae's taste test was already out of the picture as far as she was concerned.

"In that case, let _me_ make you something." She chuckled, standing up. She turned and reached her arms out to help left the roly-poly of a woman off of the couch and walked with her into the kitchen. As she came around the corner, Joy saw the pictures Irene had arranged on the refrigerator doors and swooned. "Awe! How cute!" She moved closer to get a better look while Irene moved a few dirty dishes out of the way and into the sink. She saw Wendy's note and laughed. "Your girlfriend is so greasy. I don't know how you can stomach it." Joy teased, failing to notice the pink hue dusting her ex-leader's cheeks.

"I think it's nice."

"Do you think it's nice or does it turn you on?"

"Ya!" Irene exclaimed. She probably would have slapped the girl if she wasn't so far away. Joy snickered at the older woman's flustered reaction.

* * *

After eating together and catching Irene up on what was happening in the near future for Red Velvet, they got up and scraped their plates. While Joy finished cleaning her dish under warm water pouring from the faucet, Irene stifled a little burp with her hand. She looked tired, probably about to slip into a food coma at any given moment thanks to a full belly - courtesy of Park Sooyoung. The younger noticed, sparing her a knowing glance over her shoulder.

"Sleepy?"

"A little." Irene said through an impressive yawn.

"Go sleep it off, unnie. I can tidy things up and call manager oppa to come pick me up."

For a moment there was no response until a forlorn, meek little voice spoke. "Do you have to go?" Joy paused what she was doing and turned her upper body to fully face the sad bunny standing behind her. "I don't like being here alone..."

"I guess I could stay," Joy replied, although if she did, she would need to leave about a half an hour earlier than usual. But, if Irene was lonely and wanted someone to spend the night with her, she was more than happy to oblige. She felt a hand creep its way into hers and lightly pull it away from the sink. "Hang on, just let me finish up here and I'll come join you, okay?" Irene nodded, walking off in the direction of her bedroom. Joy finished scrubbing her plate then did the same to Irene's, turning off the water and shaking her soapy hands off in the sink.

When she arrived in Irene's room, the girl was already half asleep but made it a point to stay awake and make sure Joy didn't run out on her. She flashed her a little smile, slapping the other side of her bed in invitation.

"I mean, these clothes might be a little dirty..." She warned her before climbing into Irene's nice clean bed.

"That's fine. But if it bothers you, I have plenty of clothes that should fit you." She chuckled, gesturing to her belly as if her reasoning wasn't obvious.

Joy felt a little guilty for asking, but she had a certain pet peeve against sleeping in the clothes she had already worn outside. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Irene sighed sleepily, burrowing her head into the pillows. Joy turned to open Irene's closet and grabbed the least expensive item she could find - a light grey maternity sweatshirt. She quickly disappeared into the bathroom and returned, curiously feeling out the way her body felt in the clothing. There was a lot of awkward extra material in the stomach of the garment meant to provide more coverage for a supposed baby bump, but instead it just made a weird-feeling gap between Joy's flat stomach and the front of the sweatshirt. It was cozy, though. That much she had to admit.

Irene flashed her a drowsy smile as she approached her side of the bed and finally slid under the covers. "Somehow it looks good on you." She murmured hoarsely.

"It'd look good on you too." Joy insisted but her words were only met with a snort of disagreement.

"You know what’s funny?" She began, "I've never really worried about how I look until now. I feel so ugly even though I’m actually healthier than I've ever been and the babies are doing well." Joy glanced from the raven's middle back up to her pretty little face. "I'm sorry. I must sound like such a-"

"You don't." Joy interjected making Irene meet her eyes. "You’re entitled to feel that way - even if it's far from the truth." Irene managed a breathless chuckle, returning her attention to the little mountain protruding in front of her. "I think you're stunning, unnie. It's why I've been so jealous of you lately." Irene's eyes widened in surprise, utterly baffled at such a statement.

"Jealous of me?" She laughed in disbelief. "Look at me! I'm practically a whale!" She paused and thought up a better analogy. "I look like I _swallowed_ a whale!"

"Shut up! No you don't!" Joy scolded softly, smacking her gently on the arm. "I guess I've always been a little jealous." Joy confessed. "But as terrible as it sounds, I'm more jealous of how well you're handling everything. Seriously, you look like some sort of ancient fertility goddess! Even pregnant with _triplets_ you _still_ look flawless and your boobs are to die for!" Irene laughed and covered her face out of embarrassment until Joy pulled them away. "How are you always so perfect, unnie?"

"But I'm not." She murmured quietly. "If I was, I wouldn't be pregnant and I'd be back in Daegu married to some rich alpha with ego issues. Instead, I'm here with you guys and there's nowhere else in the world I'd rather be." Joy smiled and moved closer to hug Irene with a long, tired sigh.

"What does it feel like?" She mumbled quietly making Irene lift her head to see her.

"What does what feel like?"

"Everything. Just... being an omega." Irene moved her head back into a more comfortable angle and thought for a moment.

"That all depends on who you ask. Some of us see it as a blessing while others see it as a curse."

"Well, which is it to you?"

"I'm not sure." Irene confessed, looking up at the ceiling. "Sometimes it feels like I'm in a constant battle against myself and the people around me. Other times, I'm fascinated by all of the wonders my body can do like imprint, carry litters, and nest. It's just so hard to keep yourself protected when everyone else is stronger than you." Joy chewed on those insights for a moment before speaking for herself.

"I've always hated being an alpha - never really got along with them either, so I guess I can relate to you there." Joy paused, trying to determine whether or not she should confess her deepest, darkest secrets to Irene just to get them off her chest. She peeked down at the woman curled up into her front, her leader and the mother of her pup, and figured if she should tell anyone, it would be the woman that would give her first-born daughter life. "Honestly, I've always identified more with betas. I'm not really sure why. Cocks and knots are just so... _invasive_. After the bet, I felt like I was somehow taking advantage of you even though you agreed to everything." She paused to gather her thoughts. "Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to carry my own pups too, but I can't. I get the easy job and it makes me sad because I'll never know what it feels like to have another life growing inside of me."

Irene looked up at Joy's chin with glossy eyes void of all judgement. "It sounds like you're transdynamic."

"I guess, if that's the word for it." Joy chuckled. Irene nestled her head back into Joy's chest, listening to the sound of her heartbeat thumping against her ear.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more of a help to you. But I'm glad you told me."

"It's fine. I've made it this far." Joy said with a sigh while absent-mindedly combing her fingers through the prime's hair. "Besides, if I wasn't the way I am, this little nugget wouldn't exist." She smiled fondly down at her hand awkwardly reaching between their bodies to rub the area where her baby was sleeping, warm and cozy in the safety of her mother's womb with her sire's familiar scent to sooth her. "Honestly, I'm glad you're my baby mama. Our kid's gonna be hot as hell." The comment earned her a harsh smack to the shoulder followed by a few lighthearted giggles. "I know we may not talk as often as the others, but I really do love you, unnie."

"I love you too." Irene opened her eyes and lifted her head to smile up at the younger girl only to nearly brush noses with her. Suddenly, the close proximity of their faces became more apparent to them. The bunny's innocent peepers glanced from full, pink lips back up to the other's own pair of muddy orbs. Hesitantly, Joy leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her eldest unnie's waiting lips. The same melting sensation she felt back at her parents' house trickled from the crown of Irene's head all the way down to the tips of her toes. While Wendy's kiss set off rounds of spectacular fireworks, Joy's felt more like watching a smooth, elegant ribbon dance with incredible stage production. Their lips separated and the realization of what they had just done along with the guilt that followed seeped into Joy's skull.

Joy was dangling on the verge of a panic attack; her heart hammering in her chest for two completely conflicting reasons. On one hand, she may have just killed Wendy and Irene's relationship before it even started while on the other, she felt giddy and love-struck. Irene rested her hand against the other girl's chest and calmed her down, though she was pretty distraught herself.

"I'll talk to her about it tomorrow. For now, let's just pretend it never happened and go to sleep." Joy released a quiet breath and nodded, feeling Irene settle into a more comfortable position. Slowly but surely, Irene managed to drift away into a glassy sea of deep slumber with the help of a full stomach.

The alpha tried to join her, but she couldn't stop thinking about how heartbroken Wendy would be knowing she had kissed the girl she had romantic feelings towards. She didn't want to come between Irene and Wendy's happiness, but she had to admit, she had a few feelings of her own towards Irene. She wanted so badly to believe that they were only there because of the baby, but deep down, she knew it was an ongoing phenomenon. However, she was willing to put those feelings on a shelf out of the goodness of her heart if Wendy truly was head-over-heels in love with her crush. Surely Irene loved Wendy too. Had Joy just made herself too delectable to resist? 

Joy wasn't so sure.

With a heavy heart and a loaded conscience, the young alpha closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep with the warm body of her heart's secret desire and mother of her child nuzzled against her chest.


	26. XXVI

Joy woke just before sunrise, drowsily padding her way into the kitchen to wake herself up before their manager came to get her. It didn't take very long to miss Irene's warm bed. Although the home's very pregnant resident kept the thermostat relatively high, the house still felt more like an igloo in comparison.

She stood in front of the coffee maker and yawned, waiting for it to brew. Even in her sluggish stupor, Joy couldn't shake the feeling of guilt eating away at her like a flock of moths to wool clothing. She didn't necessarily regret kissing Irene, but she did regret doing so knowing she was in love with Wendy. She supposed she should blame it on the intimacy of the moment. After all, she did just get through pouring her deepest, darkest secrets out when the urge hit her. 

A pair of foreign arms wrapped around her waist and embraced her in a back hug. Startled for a moment, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at the little tuft of bedhead that greeted her. 

"Don't move. You're warm and smell really good." Joy snorted, but let the tiny girl continue being her little backpack as she carried on with what she was doing. The loud screams of pain coming from the coffee maker as the last dribble of Joy's morning caffeine intake trickled down into the cup made Irene grumble - her sensitive ears not yet awake enough to handle such shrill noise.

"Did you sleep well?" Joy inquired while stirring her beverage with a nearby spoon.

"Mhm," Irene hummed, nuzzling further into Joy's back for warmth. "You?"

"Fine." In truth, she hardly slept at all - not that she would ever admit to that. Joy only drank coffee when she was allotted a few short hours of sleep due to their unhealthily packed schedules during comebacks and promotional periods. She wasn't a fan of the taste, but it certainly woke her right up.

Irene continued to cling onto her as she made her way around the kitchen, assembling an egg sandwich for them to split. Despite the anvil suspended over her head, Joy smiled at the domestic feelings she got having Irene's stomach pressed into her back while she scrambled up some eggs over the stove. It was exciting to think of what it would be like doing so with a few pups babbling nonsense in their high chairs. She wanted to wake up and start her day with all eight of them gathered in the kitchen together as a little family of misfit toys. Joy's heart yearned for such a morning.

A car honked outside making the young alpha's head snap to the clock on the stove. "Already? Where did the time go?" Irene lifted her head in confusion only to be met with half of Joy's sandwich waiting in front of her mouth. She lethargically took a bite, chewing it slowly before pulling her arms away and taking the rest of it out of Joy's hand to feed herself. "I've gotta go. Manager oppa's waiting." Joy murmured, fixing her unnie's unruly hair a little. 

"Is Seungwannie going too?" The alpha pursed her lips and nodded. "Could you tell her to come over tonight?" Irene inquired. "I want to talk to her about... you know."

"Sure." Joy replied. "I think Yerim-ah wanted to make it into a game night. We haven't had one in a while. Not since..." She looked down at Irene's belly making the latter chuckle.

"Yeah, I know. They're free to come over, but I want to sort everything out with Seungwan-ah first."

"Do you need me to vouch for you?"

"She's _my_... _partner_ ," Irene began. "I should be the one to answer for my mistakes."

Joy paused, digesting the meaning of the word. "... Mistake?" Realizing how heartless that sounded, Irene quickly backpedaled.

"That's not what I meant," She reached out to rub Joy's upper arm gently. "Things are complicated right now. The best thing we can do for all of us is take the next right step; that means being open with Seungwan-ah. I don't want to build a relationship with anyone based on a lie - whether it be you or her." Joy's ears perked up at the implication.

"Does that mean I have a chance?" Irene's gaze wavered off to the side, a little confused about where she stood in the midst of things herself.

"I don't know," She murmured. "I feel something for you too. I'm not sure if it's love, but it's certainly something worth looking into." Irene's wondering gaze suddenly turned firm and cold. "That said, I don't want to lose Seungwan-ah. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone in my life. She deserves to be someone's first priority which is why I have to set you on the back burner for now. At least until I can figure out what exactly it is I feel for you."

"I understand." Joy murmured. "I just want you two to be happy. That's all I could ever ask for." Another loud series of car honks snapped Joy out of the moment. "Okay, I really have to go." She gave Irene's head a parting pat, placing her cup by the sink and practically inhaling the remainder of her breakfast. "See you tonight!" She called on her way out the door, letting it slam closed behind her.

Irene watched through the window as Joy ran down the foot path towards a black van waiting on the edge of the street. When the door slid opened, Yeri leaned forward out of her seat in the back and aggressively slapped Joy's arm out of impatience making Irene chuckle. She wanted nothing more than to go with them and hear the maknae line squabble all the way to the venue like she used to, but the not-so-little reminder protruding out of her shirt brought those dreams back down to Earth. Sadly, she accepted her new station and watched the motorized door slide closed before the van slowly pulled away. 

Alone with her thoughts once again, Irene was about to return to the kitchen when she felt movement in her lower right. Joy's pup had awakened only to realize her mommy's sudden departure and was not too thrilled about it. 

"You really are a needy little thing, aren't you?" She chuckled at the similarities her daughter already shared with Joy. Joy craved attention and adoration which is what made a career in the entertainment industry such a good fit for her despite her underlying sensitivity and longing for people's validation; both things that often made her confident exterior crack. In the same way, her little one always made a fuss when her sire wasn't around or she couldn't hear the soft timbre of her mother's voice. She could only imagine what a pretty little diva their child would surely become and laughed at the image such a thought created. 

Coming to the realization that Joy's scent probably still lingered on her bed sheets, Irene figured she should use the cards she had been dealt. Maybe that would pacify her daughter's kicks and squirms of frustration. A particularly firm kick made Irene's breath get caught in her lungs. 

"Don't get an attitude with me, young lady." A second, lighter kick made it feel as though she was somehow mocking her mother's teasing words in utero. Irene sighed, growing exhausted just imagining the day when her daughter would learn how to backtalk and slam a door dramatically. She murmured a few curt words in a sarcastic and melodramatic drawl; "Well this'll be fun in your teenage years." 

* * *

While she was cleaning a few things off of the kitchen table, a series of loud, overly aggressive knocks made Irene jump. Not five seconds later, before she even had time to process what the sound was and make it to the door, another round of harsh fist-to-door pounding rang out throughout the house.

Irene peeked around the corner and saw Yeri cupping her hands over the surface of the door to see inside due to the porch light creating a glare on the glass. When she saw the woman she had been looking for, she waved excitedly while Seulgi smacked her hand as a special way of telling the younger girl to cool her jets. Irene gave her head a shake and chuckled under her breath as she made her way across the living room to open the door for them. 

As soon as it was unlocked, Yeri practically launched herself into Irene's arms - nearly knocking the poor woman to the floor. "Unnie!" She sobbed dramatically, holding her in a tight - borderline suffocating - squeeze. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too!" Irene managed to choke out, patting the back of the younger girl's shoulder.

"Careful! You might hurt her!" Seulgi scolded while quietly urging Yeri to release her tight hold. The maknae backed off with a pout, walking away into the kitchen while Seulgi checked up on Irene. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Irene sighed with a soft laugh. "Thanks." The bear woman smiled and gave her a little nod. Both of their heads quickly turned as Wendy walked through the door with a variety of board games in tow. Irene gave Seulgi a somewhat pleading look. "Could you...?" Seulgi quickly caught on to what was being asking of her. Without a word, she walked over and took the games out of her friend's hands then turned to walk them into the kitchen so the duo could talk in private.

Wendy made a move to kick off her shoes at the door when Irene pressed a hand to her chest to stop her. She looked up at her expectantly, noticing the lip bite Irene was sporting. "Can I... talk to you for a minute?"

A little offset by the tone in her lover's voice, Wendy felt the spring of nervous energy gushing in her chest. "Um, sure." She stepped back to allow Irene enough room to join her out on the covered patio, following her a little ways away from the door. The couple stood under the porch light, listening to the soothing sounds of the crickets chirping on such a warm summer night. However, it wasn't a very romantic rendezvous. As much as Irene wanted to kiss it all better, she had quite a bit of explaining to do. Wendy deserved at least that much.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" Irene bit her lip and ducked her head, hiding her shame behind a curtain of jet black hair. The beta's hands reached out to move them away from her lover's pretty little face. "Talk to me." She pleaded. Irene took a deep breath in through the nose. She had so much to say, but so little words. She wanted to confess her brief act of infidelity as painlessly as possible, but she knew that the girl was bound to get hurt regardless.

With a breath of defeat, Irene opened her mouth to speak her case. "Last night... when Sooyoung-ah came over..." She began, swallowing the lump in her throat. "She and I got pretty deep in conversation." Wendy tilted her head like a puppy, showing Irene that she was listening and urging her to continue. "Well, one thing sort of lead to another and we... kissed." Wendy's bright, twinkling eyes dulled a little; coated by a layer of sadness.

"Oh."

"It wasn't what I intended," Irene assured her, trying to keep her from melting to the floor like a snowman in June. "It's just... one of those things. I can't really explain why it happened, but I want you to know that I love you and I'm sorry." 

Wendy went quiet for a moment, digesting everything Irene had just told her. It felt like her heart had a massive fault line that was slowly and painfully parting to create an even larger canyon. "Did I... do something wrong?"

The omega's face fell into one of disbelief and horror. "What? No!" She insisted, reaching out to hold her lover's forearm. "This was all on me! Stop blaming yourself."

"It's okay." Wendy sighed sadly, gently brushing Irene's hand off of her arm while putting on a fake little smile to mask her heartache. "I get it. I just don't have what you need and that's okay. You don't have to sugar coat it for me." Irene's brows furrowed with worry.

"Stop it! I'm not breaking up with you!" Her insistent and passionate eyes softened. "Unless... are you breaking up with _me_?" The beta quirked her lips, eyes shifting unsteadily in deep contemplation. While she may be suffering the venomous sting of hurt and betrayal, she was glad Irene had been upfront and honest with her. It made her remorse sound more believable. If she had decided to sweep the kiss under the rug, it would've lead Wendy believe she never truly loved her to begin with. The fact that she immediately pulled her aside and told her what had happened just showed that Irene wanted to keep their lines of communication clear of any gunk that could potentially ruin them. 

Finally, Wendy came to a conclusion she could stand on. "I can forgive this." She declared with a nod, her voice serious and stern. "Only because it was Sooyoung-ah and I love you both too much to stay upset." Irene ducked her head and nodded, staring down at her feet as she was too ashamed to look her partner in the eye. Seeing the woman's behavior let Wendy know she had made the right decision in forgiving her. She took a few steps forward and wrapped her up in a hug that was quickly reciprocated.

"I'm so sorry." The raven sniffled. "I swear, it'll never happen again."

Wendy rubbed her lover's back, sighing as she took in Irene's familiar fragrance. "I trust you. But I need to know," They both slowly pulled away from the warm embrace, Irene looking up at the blonde expectantly while wiping her tears away. " _Why_ did you kiss her? It was a touching moment, I get that, but... why kiss? Do you maybe have an interest in her too?"

Irene bit her lower lip. "... I'm not sure." A cloud of silence fell over them.

The symphony of crickets and frogs continued serenading the couple, making the pause in conversation a little less awkward. Wendy ran everything through the super computer up in her head all over again. She was trying to draw up a logical conclusion as to why the love of her life would go out of her way to confess her feelings towards her only to then run off and lock lips with someone else. Had Joy been the one to initiate? If so, that would clear up a lot of the pathways she had paved and weaving around in her skull. 

"It's different from the way I feel about you." Irene finally spoke. "You make me feel cozy and warm, like I want to sit with you by the fire and drink hot cocoa or bake cookies together. With her, I want to go walk along the beach at sunset and talk about life. I'm not sure why we kissed and I can't deny that it happened, but I also can't deny that I did feel something there. It may not have been as explosive as it was with you, but I did catch a few butterflies."

"Do you think it may be because we're your pups' sires?" Wendy murmured. "Looking at the way things are, you've never shown interest in any of us romantically until you got pregnant, except for Seulgi."

"I guess it gave me more courage." Irene supposed. "I've always kind of liked you, Seungwan-ah, I just didn't think it would be appropriate to act on it." The beta nodded in understanding. It made sense; dating your group mate while still promoting in said group wasn't the brightest or most structurally sound idea in the world. If things fell through and the fling ended on a bad note, it could damage the integrity of the group as a whole and get other members unfairly involved in the repercussions as a result. Irene bobbed her head side to side in consideration." And _maybe_ the pups _did_ contribute a little, but I know what I'm feeling and the feeling is nothing but love towards you, Seungwannie." Wendy smiled, pressing a kiss to Irene's forehead the way she oh so _loved_ to do.

"Well, I won't lie to you and say I wasn't upset about it, but... If you want to try going on a few dates with her too, just to test the waters, I think I'd be okay with that."

Big, brown bunny eyes full of uncertainty gazed deep into the inner workings of her soul as if looking for even the slightest hint of insincerity. "Really...? Are you sure?" Wendy smiled, tucking a bit of hair behind the woman's ear and smoothly sliding the hand down to cup her jaw.

"Well, we haven't made anything official yet," Wendy stated. "I think it's only fair you figure things out for yourself. Until then, I'll be here - same as always." Their lips met in a brief peck. Once it ended and the little sparks tingled away, Wendy pulled Irene's head against her neck and felt her arms wrap around her waist. The beta chuckled to herself. "Look on the bright side; at least we got that first fight out of the way." Irene laughed, gently resting the side of her head on Wendy's collar bone.

"I think we just got together, hooked up, made a baby, had our first fight, broke up, and got back together all in the span of three days." A sudden hiss of pain made Wendy freeze.

"Babe? You okay?" Irene moved to pull away from the hug, resting her hand over the top of her stomach.

"I think your pup just kicked." Wendy blinked in surprise, looking down at where her lover's hand was moving.

"It's not supposed to hurt, is it?"

"She's right underneath my ribs, so it only stings a little," Irene assured her with a gravelish tone to her voice. "I'm fine."

"That's good then, right?" Wendy chirped. "I guess this means she's doing okay." The raven's lips pursed into a sweet little smile, leaning forward to accept the oncoming peck from her lover. Just then, the front door swung open and Yeri poked her head out. 

"When you guys are through making out out here, we're ready to start." Irene whipped her head around and blushed.

"Just a minute." As Yeri went back inside, Wendy's hand laid over the omega's swell. 

The beta crouched down and got closer to where the baby could probably hear her. "I've been worried about you, pumpkin," She cooed while scratching the expanse of skin keeping her away from her daughter. "I'm glad you're doing okay, just please go easy on your eomma." She added with a chuckle, looking up at a glowing Irene. "And be nice to your brother and sister." She gave her swell a parting kiss before standing up straight and opening her arm in invitation. "Shall we?" The gesture took her back to the day Wendy first escorted her down the hallway. A moment that seemed so long ago was only a few short months behind them. Still, the simple - and ever so dorky - gesture made her heart beat faster all the same. She giggled and linked her arm with Wendy's, walking back inside to play a few games with the others.


	27. XXVII

Several weeks had come and gone since Irene had agreed to start seeing Joy and Wendy separately; during which time, the girls were approved to move into the house as well. However, this made things somewhat awkward for Wendy and Joy. They both tried to put up a friendly front, but there were competitive undertones that went undiscussed. It was a somewhat passive aggressive locking of horns. Whenever they would see each other in passing, they would nod in acknowledgement, but never stop to speak. This had taken a lighter toll on their work chemistry as well. Luckily, they were both great at putting on a show for the fans and cameras, but at home, tensions ran high - bubbling beneath the surface.

They spent a lot of their time trying to one-up each other. If Wendy took Irene to the aquarium, Joy would take her to the zoo. If Joy took her to a movie, Wendy would treat her to a nice dinner and a baseball game. If Irene ever needed help with something, anything at all, they would both eagerly jump in to offer her assistance. So far, Wendy had gained the upper hand on the dating side of things since she could afford more pricey and extravagant date locations. However, it wasn't the expense of the dates that wooed Irene, but the quality of the time she spent with either one of them making them both neck and neck.

But right now, the ball was in Joy's court.

Or at least it _would_ be if Irene wasn't seven months pregnant with the triplets.

Instead of planning a romantic outing together like they used to, Joy and Irene spent their morning cuddled up on the couch watching the day go by. It was a tight squeeze, but they happily managed. In just two more months, the pups would be with them and boy, did her body show it.

Irene was _big;_ almost alarmingly so. It was the main culprit behind her suddenly lethargic tendencies and lack of interest in going out unless she absolutely had to - usually just to get a few things for the babies or nursery. Instead, she opted to just stay home for the most part and tried out a few new hobbies like drawing and culinary arts to keep herself busy. Even then, cooking was soon out of the picture as standing for extended periods of time became too taxing on her poor body. If she tried to start making something, Wendy would ultimately have to be the one to step in and finish the job. Irene always looked so upset and downtrodden whenever it came to that. Of course, no one had the audacity to give Irene any snide remarks about her body as she was already very much aware of her size. Not even Yeri was _that_ evil.

The alpha subtly released more of her scent into the air around them for good measure and waited to see if she would respond. Sure enough, Irene's lungs soaked it all up like a sponge. The omega's gravid body practically melted into her portion of the couch with a soft hum. When her eyes opened again, her irises were nearly blown completely black in dilation. Somewhat satisfied but ever so disappointed in herself, Joy sighed and closed her eyes. She could feel Irene adjust her position as her hand on her stomach gently moved.

Joy peeked one of her eyes open. "You okay?"

"My tummy hurts," Irene pouted - an action so out of her usual character, but had recently become more normal as of late. 

"Are you hungry? Want me to go make you something?"

"No, just growing pains," Irene sighed. "I'm so big, even my stretchmarks have stretchmarks. I feel like I might pop." She added with a light-hearted chuckle.

"Well, stretchmarks or not, you'll always be perfect to me." Irene closed her eyes and smiled as Joy kissed the top of her head then reached up to intertwine her fingers with those belonging to the hand resting on her shoulder. It was strange. Joy was with the same Irene she knew before and yet it felt like she was cuddling a stranger; like she was with Irene's secret identical twin of sorts. In truth, she supposed that might as well be the case.

Joy looked down at the pair of big, black bunny eyes gazing up at her; filled to the brim with love, affection, and admiration. "I love you, my alpha."

Those five words sat heavily on Joy's chest like a pile of bricks.

She swallowed the lump of guilt forming in her throat. "Yeah... Love you too." A low purring sound rumbled in the hollow of Irene's chest as she rested her head back against the younger girl's shoulder and snuggled closer. In the nook of a hallway where Joy and Irene's rooms were located, on her way out of the bathroom, Wendy had managed to overhear and smell the exchange. It made her question whether or not the young alpha was playing fair. Unaware of the beta skeptically analyzing the situation from the shadows, Joy laid in silence with the pup-heavy omega under her arm, staring off into space while Irene settled in for her first power nap of the day. Those words that should have made Joy's heart bloom only made it wilt with sorrow.

She knew exactly where she needed to go to fix it.

* * *

Her bag of recently purchased items sat under a nearby peach tree while Joy took a moment to skip rocks and clear her head. A lonely swan in the distance made its rounds with its neck held in an elegant arc. It didn't seem to mind Joy's presence. Rather, it paused to preen itself, ruffling its feathers before continuing on its merry way.

The alpha sighed, tossing another rock and watching it bounce across the pond. It had been quite a while since the last time she ran away to her special thinking place. Usually it was to cry about some negative comment made by a name with no face, but she had her fair share of moments where she felt like she had lost herself and would run to the lake to find the piece that was missing. This was one of those times.

A young couple walked down the sidewalk behind Joy, laughing and cooing at one another the way lovers do. She watched them leave with a hint of annoyance in her eyes. It was a beautiful day; perfect weather for taking a walk through the park. Too bad Joy was too deep in her feelings to enjoy it. 

Ever since she set foot into her third and final trimester, Irene had been growing more and more clingy with her pups' sires. As a result, a little piece of Seulgi and Joy naturally rubbed off on her; their imprints. However, this time it was intended to be in a tame and healthy manner. And it was - at least on Seulgi's part. 

An alpha's imprint wasn't just a tool for seduction. In its gentlest form, it was the sire's ticket that allowed them to get anywhere near the omega or their newborns and would also help the omega cope with the excruciating pain of labor. During the final stretch, as an omega became less mobile, they depended more on their mates to care for them and keep them safe when they were most vulnerable. Or at least that's what was written in the history books, anyway. 

She turned to cast another smooth stone out across the glassy surface of the water and watched it skip once, twice, then sink to the bottom of the pond. Despite how thrilled she was about Irene giving her a chance, she couldn't look past the sacrifices she had made to get that chance; her integrity, Wendy's feelings, her own relationship with Irene. The irony was tragic. Just a few months ago, she was ripping Seulgi a new one for doing the same thing only hers was in no way intentional. Because of Joy's tampering with her own imprint, Irene was catching feelings fast and she was just letting it happen. Encouraging it, even. Joy just couldn't help herself. At the end of the day, she was just using her already festering imprint as a crutch to keep her hopes alive.

Perhaps Joy's possessiveness as a green sire had taken hold of her morality. While hers may not have been as prominent as Seulgi's (given that the older woman was a prime and with bigger litters came more of a need for a stronger imprint) it made Irene more attracted to her just the same. For this reason, she ramped it up just barely out of the threshold deemed safe so that Irene would subconsciously perceive her as a love interest too without completely obsessing over her as she did with Seulgi. It was manipulative, selfish, and cruel, but Joy was desperate and desperate times called for desperate measures.

The things people do for love.

Joy glanced over her shoulder at the shopping bag sitting in the shade and sighed. She didn't want to play the villain, but she didn't want to let the girl she really liked go, either. Every moment she saw Irene fawning over Wendy killed her inside. Despite their differences, they were both so good for each other - perfect, even. And Wendy didn't even need an imprint to win Irene's affections. She wanted to be happy for them, she truly did, but she couldn't bring herself to be the bigger person. Instead, she hacked into Irene's heartstrings and hurt Wendy as collateral because of it.

Joy sighed, picking up a rotting peach and taking a good, long look at it. "I really am a monster." 

A nearby honking sound caught her attention. She whipped her head around to find the swan from before treading water on the edge of the bank. It appeared to be curious about what she was doing, cocking its tiny head and turning an eye towards her, but made no effort to come any closer or shoo her off. Instead, it bobbed peacefully in the water like a bouye out at sea. 

The raven carelessly tossed the fruit's remains aside. "What do _you_ want?" She grumbled bitterly. "Here to judge?" The swan simply ruffled its feathers as it did not speak nor comprehend human tongue. Joy sighed, tucking her knees against her chest, picking at the cool, green grass while pondering to herself. She knew that what she was doing was wrong, she just didn't know if she wanted to fix it. She was selfish like that at times. Of course, the annoying little voice in the back of her mind that told her right from wrong would probably pester her until she fixed the mess she had made. Still, she wanted to hold Irene's hand and have her look at her the same way she looked at Wendy with stars in her eyes. Was she jealous or was she just projecting her own romantic desires onto Irene and mistaking it for love?

Joy wasn't so sure.

She took a deep breath in through the nose and leaned back on her arms, letting the smell of peach trees and grass clippings fill her lungs. Her eyes opened, staring up at the herds of sheep-like clouds drifting through blue skies with the summer breeze in their sails. She couldn't keep Irene's heart locked up forever. Sooner or later someone was bound to notice Irene's slight change in behavior if the guilt didn't become so unbearable that Joy would be driven to the brink of insanity first. All she had to do was stop drowning Irene with her scent and only use it sparingly when Irene or her pup needed it. The sooner she set Irene free, the better it would be for all of them. If there was anything Irene wanted more than anything else in the world, it was her freedom; the freedom Joy had unintentionally yet intentionally taken right out from under her nose. It was time for her to give it back and find someone else to fall for. It was the right thing to do.

The angel on her shoulder told her to put her weapons down and let Wendy and Irene be happy. After all, they were hopelessly in love - who was she to get in the way of that? At this point, Joy was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing; the fire-breathing dragon guarding the princess from the knight in shining armor destined to rescue her.

But maybe the dragon just wanted to know how it felt to be in love too.

Her hand reached into her bag and pulled out a stuffed bunny with a big pair of adorable, floppy ears. Its glossy, black button eyes and cute, pouty frown made her feel warm and soft inside. She quirked her lips and played with the bunny's droopy ears, hugging it tight against her chest while looking out over the beautiful scenery in front of her. One day, she hoped to show it to her daughter when she was old enough.

Visions of the time they would spend together under the shade of Joy's favorite peach tree danced through her head; afternoon tea parties, hide and seek, telling stories, skipping stones, catching frogs down by the bank. Who knows? Maybe someday she would find her teenage daughter sitting in the very spot she was now; working through her own troubles and heartaches. If she would be anything like her mom, there were sure to be quite a few dramatic outbursts Joy and Irene would have to contend with, but she was willing to face them all in stride if it meant her precious baby girl, whoever she may be, knew that she was surrounded by people who loved her. 

Bidding her goodbyes for now, Joy got to her feet and gathered her things, reaching down to pick up one last stone. However, before she could toss it, her eyes landed on a beautiful pink lotus blossom floating in the pond beside the white swan that appeared to fancy it as well. Joy looked up at the peach tree blossoms then down at the bunny in her hand, noticing the similarities in colors between the three elements, and smiled. When her eyes landed back on the lotus floating on the surface of the water, her smile fell and her eyes widened ever so slightly. She had an epiphany and the perfect name she had been waiting for finally slipped past her lips.

"Sooyun."

When she heard the name with her own two ears, she smiled brightly and peered down the gentle slope of the hill at the lotus once more. "Park Sooyun," She repeated while stroking the rabbit's fluffy head. "Our perfect little lotus flower."

Rather than throw the last stone as she had originally intended, Joy let it fall to the ground as she turned to take her leave; merrily repeating her daughter's new name over and over again in her head on her long journey home. She decided that today would be her first huge step in the right direction;

Getting Irene and Wendy back together again.


	28. XXVIII

Joy walked through the door with a smile on her face, looking down at the stuffed animal still in her hand. She was excited to show Irene their baby's new toy and run the name she had chosen for her. But first, she had to lighten her imprint. 

After taking a look around, she gathered that everyone must have still been resting. Not a single light was on in the house and it was ominously quiet; two signs telling her that at least Yeri had yet to awaken and start her day. There was also no sign of early bird Wendy who usually would have been up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by now. Perhaps she was catching up on sleep after their recent round of promotions ended.

The only sign of life was Irene still fast asleep on the couch in the same position she had been in when Joy left for her outing two hours prior. Apparently that was her sleeping sweet spot; otherwise, she would've tossed and turned right out of it. It's not like she had many options to begin with; not with her bulky baby bump in the way. She was normally a back sleeper, but the doctor told her it was too dangerous while pregnant due to circulatory reasons. From then on, getting a good night's rest became more of a hit or miss experiment; a long, annoying game of Battleship she could never win. She was always so tired but had so much trouble getting to sleep and staying that way, though never once did she voice her complaints. Sure, she got snappy and irritable at times, but anyone would if they were sleep deprived and constantly felt uncomfortable in their own body. Despite the hardships she faced on a daily basis, Irene was seeing it through like a real trooper.

Joy smiled and gently placed the pastel pink bunny under Irene's arm so it would be there waiting for her when she woke up. She figured that for now she should keep her distance to purge the omega's lungs of her fragrance. While her imprint would still linger naturally until a few weeks after the pups were born, Irene's inner omega wouldn't be plagued by artificial feelings of infatuation any longer. Rather than continue fussing over the woman's romantic interests - especially while her emotional state was thrown so far off-kilter - Joy wanted to wipe the slate clean. All five of them would soon be ushering three new infants into their lives; an adjustment that would require a lot of patience and understanding. Now was not the time to lose track of their priorities. 

As she was reaching for the metal knob on her bedroom door, Joy was suddenly shoved against a nearby wall with a tiny, raging Wendy scowling up at her. "What the fuck did you do to her!?" She whisper-yelled, careful not to wake Irene. "Is this another one of your stupid alpha things!? I swear to god, Park Sooyoung..."

A little offended by the angry beta's choice of words, Joy decided to pick her battles and begrudgingly bit her tongue to keep herself from flying off the rails as she usually would. "Relax, okay? I'm taking care of it. If I stay out of her way for a while, she should be cleared by the time she wakes up." Assuming the conversation was over, she made a move to walk inside of her bedroom when Wendy reached around her, grabbed the door handle, and jerked it closed again with a firm slam.

"Look, I don't know what your little _game_ is, but I'm through playing! It's not worth dragging her into this when she's seven months pregnant and emotionally unstable!"

"I'm not playing games!" Joy insisted. "I'm backing off. Unnie doesn't need a partner right now, she needs friends. I mean, those pups could be here any week now and with the way we've been at each other's throats, it'll only make her lose focus. We should let her concentrate on getting ready for birth."

"And I agree," Wendy said with a nod, tapping her fingers on her folded arm as she slowly calmed herself down again. "I've been doing some thinking of my own too; you and I can both agree we rushed into this too headstrong. I can't really speak for you, but I love her more than anything. That said, I think we should put this little 'courtship' on hold and resume when unnie's ready. It's not fair to her or us, for that matter, and quite frankly, I'm tired of competing with you so... truce?" Joy thought for a moment but gently nodded and reached her arm out to accept Wendy's handshake. "She's due to start nesting soon." Wendy added matter-of-factly. "It's best we not confuse her any more than we already have; especially when she'll be coming in and out of head space."

"You know, I can hear you..." The girls' heads whipped towards the direction of the soft voice. Irene's head was barely visible over the back of the couch.

She didn't look too thrilled to see them.

"Uh, we were just-"

"Talking?" Irene murmured, rubbing the sleep from her eye. "I know. I heard everything." Feelings of shame washed over the duo's consciences in waves, but they supposed that at least now they would all be on the same page. 

"Sorry," Wendy spoke quietly. "But you understand, though... right?" 

"I do." Irene said with a sigh. "Though that doesn't mean I'm not hurt." Her big, almond-colored eyes flickered over to Joy making the younger girl swallow nervously. "I don't have the energy to be mad at you right now," She stated curtly and crossly like a mother disappointed in her child's actions. "But don't think I'm letting you walk away from this. Once these pups are out of me and I can function normally again, you _bet your_ _ass_ we're talking about this. Do I make myself clear?"

Joy gulped, but nodded. "Crystal."

"Good," The omega looked down at her hefty stomach and awkwardly cleared her troat. "Now... come help me up, please." Joy and Wendy shared a glance; finding a bit of humor in how quickly the mood of the room shifted, but spoke nothing of it as they walked over to help Irene to her feet. Each girl grabbed one arm and heaved her up off of the couch, receiving a shy little thank you as payment for their services. Once she was through recalibrating her center of balance, Irene took a look around with a puzzled expression on her face. "Has anyone seen Seulgi-ya today?"

"She's at a doctor's appointment," Wendy said while dusting some lint off of Irene's shoulder. "She should be back in a few hours."

"Goddammit!" The trio's eyes widened in surprise at such a mighty shout; craning their necks to see into the kitchen. A very cross-looking Yeri sat pouting at the kitchen table with her arms folded across her chest like a delinquent school child that had just gotten caught by the principal.

"What?" Joy chuckled on her way towards the pantry with Wendy and Irene walking in behind her. 

"Stupid bear! She promised to play me in Street Fighter!" Yeri howled angrily, slouching down in her chair with a huff. "I've been on a winning streak, too! I bet she's dodging out on me for some 'doctor's appointment' because she's scared she'll lose and have to fork over twenty bucks."

"I'm sure she'll play with you later." The resident den mother kissed the maknae's temple making her squirm and grimace. 

"I can try and play you if you want," Wendy chirped while carrying a bowl of dough over to the counter space beside the stove. "Not to brag or anything, but I used to be an ace at Pacman back in the day." 

"Ooh! Look at you!" Joy mocked playfully making Wendy chuckle in spite of the snide remark being at her own expense.

With an uninterested grumble, Yeri leaned forward to prop her head up on her hand. "Thanks, but no thanks. It's just not the same."

"Why? Because you have a big, fat, childhood crush on Seulgi unnie?" Joy's further teasing ignited a scalding glare from the girl seated at the table.

"No!" She objected, her face burning red like she had just eaten an entire crate of hot chili peppers. "At least _I'm_ not the one pining over a _pregnant woman_!" She quickly turned to Irene. "No offense."

"None taken." Irene said with a shrug, gulping down another long sip of her orange juice. 

"Well, I think it's cute." Wendy said with an adorable smile. 

"It's not cute!" Yeri protested loudly before coming to a sudden realization. "Wait, _all_ of you knew!?"

"Uh, yeah," Joy snorted. "It's kind of obvious." The maknae turned to Irene and was horrified to find her quietly nodding along. Joy walked over and gave her a soft, patronizing pat on the head. "But hey, look on the bright side; at least Seulgi unnie's too slow to catch on."

Yeri's ears burned. "You guys suck!" The older girls just snickered among themselves; Joy walking off towards the mudroom while Wendy started chopping celery stalks and Irene, having already been on her feet long enough, took a seat at the other end of the table. When she noticed that the youngest of the five was still on edge, Irene figured she would offer up a few words of comfort.

"It's okay, Yerim-ah," She murmured while resting a hand on her sizable belly. "I can't say that I blame you. She does have a very magnetic atmosphere about her."

"Yeah," Yeri sighed into her arms folded over the surface of the table. " _T_ _oo_ magnetic."

* * *

The hospital waiting room would have been blissfully quiet if not for the clicking sounds of nurses' fingers typing on keyboards or the shrill wails of the infant crying a few seats over. Seulgi turned and shot the mother-son duo a curious glance. It was clear to see that the mother was somewhat embarrassed; shushing the child and patting his tiny back in an effort to calm him down. A look of relief washed over the woman's features when the nurse called for her. Without a word, Seulgi watched them get up and walk out of the waiting room with the baby's loud cries fading off down the hallway.

"Miss Kang?" The male nurse's voice snapped her out of her daze. "We're ready for you now." She quickly scrambled to gather her things and stumbled her way over to meet him, bowing politely. The nurse just smiled, motioning for her to follow him down the long corridor. When they reached the operating room, the nurse politely asked her to change into the proper attire and urged her to have a seat on the operating table. "Dr. Im will be with you in a moment."

"Thank you." Once the friendly nurse left her to wait for the doctor, Seulgi looked around at all of the shiny contraptions around her. Some of them looked quite intimidating and suddenly her head was swamped with second thoughts and adrenaline. Was she doing the right thing? Would her parents be upset? What if she _did_ change her mind? Seulgi didn't get a chance to thoroughly dissect these questions before the surgeon walked in the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Are you Miss Kang Seulgi?" She nodded while the man took a seat nearby. "Hello, I'm Dr. Im. I'll be the one walking you through and performing your vasectomy today." Seulgi hid her nerves behind a tight-lipped smile and shook the doctor's hand politely. "It's standard procedure for me to remind you of a few things before we get started," He stated while shuffling through the paperwork attached to his clipboard. "We get a lot of patients your age coming in with the intentions of using a vasectomy as a form of birth control thinking they could just get it reversed when they're ready to start a family. I can't stress enough how important it is for you to be absolutely sure you would not want to sire children in the future. While the procedure is reversible, it's also very expensive and doesn't always work so this is not a decision you should be making in the spur of the moment."

Pushing the feelings and opinions of others aside, Seulgi ran through how _she_ felt about the procedure before coming to a sturdy conclusion. "I'm sure."

The doctor nodded and handed her his clipboard and a pen. "I'll need you to sign the first two pages. These are just to confirm you have given your consent to follow through with the procedure and you understand its repercussions." While Seulgi did as instructed and handed the clipboard back, the doctor carried on. "Once the procedure is done, you will still be able to achieve orgasm, knot, and ejaculate, but no sperm will join the mix and you will no longer be capable of experiencing a rut."

Seulgi tapped her fingers in thought. "Would I still be able to sate an omega in heat?" She inquired curiously.

"So long as you can pop a knot, yes," He replied. "You just won't be able to impregnate them or ejaculate multiple times seeing as how your rut will die." Seulgi nodded in understanding, looking down at her hands folded neatly in her lap over the green surgical gown adorning her body. "If you have any further questions, please let me know and I'll be happy to answer them." Seulgi thought for a moment, looking up at the ceiling with squinted eyes.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not at all. The operation will only take about thirty minutes with an hour of recovery time before you're free to leave. You will be awake, but I will put you on an anesthetic to numb you. After that, given you're in a very active career field, I will carry through with the non-incision method for faster recovery time, no scarring, and lower risk of infection." Seulgi breathed an undetectable sigh of relief. "Any more questions?" The man asked while pulling on a pair of blue rubber gloves and a surgical mask to cover his nose and mouth. Seulgi just shook her head, watching him scoot his stool closer. "Alright then; shall we begin?" 

* * *

Two hours later, Seulgi came walking through the front door with a certain, awkward gate to her step. While the procedure itself didn't hurt, she was certainly sore in her tender bits. Figuring she would try to sleep it off, she carefully half-limped her way towards her and Wendy's shared bedroom when her roommate spotted her from her place at the kitchen table.

"Oh hey! How'd it go?" Seulgi froze and slowly turned with a nervous, half-hearted smile. 

"Uh, good! Yup! I'm a clean bill of health!"

The beta noticed her odd behavior and stance and shot her an questioning glance. "Um. Okay?" She decided to just let it go as another weird Seulgi moment to add to the pile. "Yerim-ah was looking for you. I think she wants to play a few games with you before we leave for Japan next week." Seulgi had completely forgotten that they were supposed to be flying overseas for a concert soon. But with Irene hardly able to get up, let alone stand for any longer than five minutes, how was she supposed to get by for a few days on her own? What if something happened while they were gone? The thought was concerning to say the least.

Figuring she should let her worries be known, Seulgi spoke up. "What about Joohyun unnie?" 

"Someone from the company agreed to look after her." Wendy replied while licking her finger to turn the page of her newspaper. Meanwhile, across the living room, a sinking feeling in Seulgi's gut made her nervous. 

"Are you sure we can trust them? I mean, what if they're mean to her or something?" 

"I seriously doubt that," The beta assured her. "Besides, it'll only be for a few days. I think you're just feeling overprotective." She returned her attention back to the paper in her hands while Seulgi wrestled with her conflicted feelings and sore crotch. Maybe Wendy was right; maybe she was just being paranoid.

Or, maybe it was her intuition telling her that something was wrong.

"Seungwan-ah..."

"Hm?" 

"Do you think that... maybe, we should retire too?" Wendy put the paper down and turned her head to stare at her friend with a surprised and wild look in her eye.

The thought had crossed all of their minds at some point or another, but it was a subject none of them wanted to bring up in conversation. That is, until Irene accidentally let her thoughts speak for themselves. All of them loved their job, as brutal and cut-throat as it may have been, however, it was a dream that wasn't meant to last forever. Ever since Irene left, their stages felt emptier and their songs had less of an impact. Yeri had been struggling to cover Irene's older verses as she couldn't stop tearing up every time she opened her mouth to do so. Their leader's absence had affected their group dynamics more than they had ever anticipated. Even though they knew they would see her as soon as they got home, they couldn't help but feel the cold air coming in through the gaping hole Irene had left after her departure. 

Having noticed her friend's somewhat negative reaction, Seulgi quickly added some meat to her skeleton of a statement. "I mean, parenting isn't just popping in and playing with the kid for a while, right? We can't just drop everything on unnie because we have schedules. We need to be here to help her out." Wendy quirked her lips and thought for a moment. It was strange, hearing such responsible words come out of the bear's mouth. Seulgi was always the most career-oriented and loyal to her company, set on dedicating her life to bettering the Korean music industry, but she was right. They had all played a part in this, so why should Irene have to overexert herself by looking after three newborns all on her lonesome? It was cruel and borderline dangerous. 

"I think we need to have a group meeting." Wendy stated quietly. "Tonight."

Seulgi nodded in agreement.


	29. XXIX

"No fair!" Yeri whined as another giant 'KO' flashed on the center of the screen. She flopped backwards onto the floor with a groan of frustration. "Ugh! You always use that move!"

"Yeah, because it works." Yeri's frown turned into a smile that quickly upgraded to a chuckle as Seulgi playfully dangled the game controller over her face, tapping her forehead with the side of it. The maknae reached up and batted it away with her hand. With a renewed sense of determination, she sat up with her face even closer to the TV screen. 

"Alright, one more game."

The match began as usual; Seulgi's character absolutely clobbering Yeri's. However, the evil maknae had a sinister trick up her sleeve. As her health bar slowly depleted, she reached over and playfully slapped Seulgi's crotch with the intentions of surprising her or making her lose her focus. Instead, the bear dropped her controller and hissed at the stinging sensation in her groin. Yeri glanced over just as the announcer shouted 'KO' through the speakers. 

"You okay?"

"Yeah," The alpha wheezed while gently cupping the effected area. "Just tender."

"But I barely tapped you." Yeri chuckled, though her voice was still riddled with concern. "Did you get some sort of STD or something? Need me to get some ice?"

"No," Seulgi said, finally feeling well enough to sit up again. "I just had a vasectomy."

"Wait, you got snipped without telling us!?" Seulgi shot her an annoyed look.

"I fail to see how that's any of your business, but yes, yes I did."

"Damn," Yeri giggled. "Guess the stallion got gelded. Rest in peace, Rowoon's future siblings!"

The chiding words triggered an aggravation in Seulgi she hadn't felt before. Before she could even think to stop herself, the words she had kept locked up inside came tumbling past her lips. "He wasn't _going_ to get any more siblings to begin with! I didn't _want_ kids! I've _never_ wanted kids!" The maknae was taken aback by the outburst, gazing at the very annoyed Seulgi seated beside her. Sensing the silent tension festering in the room, Seulgi quickly tried to change topics. "Can we just move on?" She sighed in exasperation, a bit ashamed of her own confession. "Please?"

As Seulgi reached to grab her controller and scrolled through the menu screen with a pissed off look on her face, Yeri felt a little ache in her chest. It took her back to the time Wendy scolded her for taking her jokes too far and making Joy cry. She didn't mean to upset her and she didn't mean to upset Seulgi either; she didn't mean to upset anyone, for that matter. She just couldn't read people very well and it was a weakness that would follow her for the rest of her life. 

But if you poke a sleeping bear, you're bound to get growled at.

The maknae, hanging on the verge of tears, choked back her emotions as best she could and half-way returned her attention back to the game. "Uh, yeah... sorry."

"Girls?" Wendy's voice called from the bottom of the stairs, unknowingly breaking the sour mood looming over the duo. "Could you come down for a minute? Group meeting." Yeri quickly wiped her eyes in case any tears decided to show, but did as they were told; following Seulgi down the staircase filtering from the attic into the kitchen where the others were already gathered. Irene was quietly sipping a glass of water, seated at the table with Wendy pulling up a chair on the far side. Meanwhile, Joy was gathering a plate of snacks and walked it over in case the seemingly spontaneous assembly should be lengthy. Already knowing what they were in for, Seulgi made it a point to take a seat and get comfortable.

"What's this about?" Irene asked Wendy over the rim of her glass.

Once she was sure everyone was settled and paying attention, Wendy spoke. "Seulgi and I were talking earlier, and we both agree we should at least consider taking a hiatus if not retiring altogether," She stated, going straight for the jugular. Her words garnered an appropriate reaction; silence, despair, and confusion spelled out across the members' faces in bold lettering.

"Um... okay?" Joy murmured, caught off-guard by such a suggestion. "Why?"

"Unnie's well into her seventh month now. She'll need us to be here both before and after delivery when she'll be too weak to look after herself. It's time we got real with ourselves for a moment and looked at our options. We can either be good parents and be there for our kids, or keep chasing a dream we've already realized."

When no one else in the room was capable of responding, the group's ex-leader did. "While I appreciate the thought, you don't have to put your lives on pause for me or the pups. I can look after them."

Seulgi chimed in from her heat beside the pregnant omega. "But you only have two arms."

"And two tits." Yeri added under breath in a half joking, half serious tone.

"Unnie, you're not going to be in your right mind once you start nesting. You've already shown signs of primal behavior under the influence of Sooyoung-ah's imprint, but that's neither here nor there," A lone alpha's head ducked in shame. "The point is, you'll need us here along with our scents to make sure you don't fly off the rails. What if, say, someone breaks in while you're out of it. That could put you and the pups in danger if no one is here to protect you."

"You paint me out to be some kind of wild animal," Irene rumbled through the base of her throat. Though in truth, it would not be folly to believe it as so. When an omega begins nesting, they enter a state very similar to the one they experience in heat only more maternal in nature. They tend to sway in and out of 'head space,' as people tend to call it, until active labor where the omega has no choice but to stay locked in their most primal state as their body's last-ditch effort to cope with the pain of childbirth. "Maybe in the past, that would be the case, but people have evolved since then. I can look after myself."

"I promise you I'm not trying to be stingy," Wendy calmly assured her. "I just don't think you realize how much you'll need a few extra hands. What if you go into labor while we're gone or have some sort of mental breakdown late at night when the pups won't go to sleep? We can't be here to pick up the slack if we have early morning schedules that run late into the night. You'll be overwhelmed trying to juggle three pups with different needs on your own."

"As much as I love being an idol, you're our baby mama first," Joy added. "I wouldn't mind taking a break to help out with the kiddos."

The head alpha nodded her head, but took it a step further to press Joy's commitment to her words. "What about retirement?" Joy bit the inside of her cheek in thought.

"Why would we have to? Once the pups are old enough-"

"Parenting doesn't end when the child reaches a certain age," Wendy calmly reminded her. "And while you may be right, our little runt will need extra care and treatment for her respiratory problems. As her sire, I don't want to be too busy to go pick up her medicine or be unavailable if something goes wrong which is why I've already planned on hanging my hat after the Japan concert."

"Me too." Seulgi spoke quietly, all eyes then turning to the maknae line. With that, Red Velvet was without a leader, main rapper, main vocalist, and main dancer all in one foul swoop. Yeri bit her lip and stared down at her hands in her lap - a silent and subtle move that alerted Irene immediately.

"Isn't this unfair to Yerim-ah?" The omega proclaimed, still felling more than just sorry for watching them all uproot their careers one by one. "She had no part in this and she's still so young! It's practically a crime to strip her of all that she's worked for! She's-"

"It's okay, unnie," The maknae's soft murmur immediately ceased Irene's growing tirade. "I don't think I'd want to continue solo or even as a group knowing they'd just be doing it to make me feel better, especially when they'd all have pups at home." The faces of the four older members blatantly pitied the poor girl. She hadn't even done anything wrong and yet she was suffering the most from the repercussions of the others' similar actions. "People have always been mean to me; netizens, ot4 stans... I don't think I could keep going on my own. Maybe I could try something new, go to university or something," She pondered with a sly smile. "Besides, I think it'll be fun to be the cool aunt," She laughed at Irene's playfully loathsome face - her head falling back against the chair with a look of dread on her beautiful features. "What!? I'm cool! The kids will love me!"

"Oh, I don't doubt that." Irene snorted, rubbing her middle as she practically opened her third eye and saw into their future; the triplets following Yeri around like little ducklings, copying everything she says or does. She would teach them all of the ways to prank their parents or get under their eomma's skin, hype them up on sugar then send them home, let them watch 'good movies' and TV shows they wouldn't be allowed to watch at home. It was a disaster waiting to happen, but at least their lives would never grow dull so long as their crack headed Auntie Yeri was around.

Irene looked forward to it.

"I can't say I expected things to end this way, but at least we're not being put on SM's shelf to rot." Joy said with a light-hearted chuckle that seemed to air out the dark clouds that had been building in the room.

"We're still gonna be together though," The maknae spoke worriedly. "Right?"

"Of course we are." The older beta assured her. "I can't say it'll be forever, but at least while Bogum lets us use the house to get things settled again. For now, let's just focus on getting the most out of one last concert to share with Luvies, deal?" A chorus of agreement soon followed.

"Spoken like a true leader." Irene said with a warm smile followed by a flirty little wink that made Wendy blush and fail to hide her giddy grin behind her hand.

While Joy watched with a tiny hint of a smile gracing her lips, Yeri gave her head a shake, teasingly muttering under her breath, "Whipped."

"Group hug!" Wendy shouted, rising out of her seat with her arms open wide.

"Oh dear god, please no." The prime alpha grumbled while burying her face in her hands before she was jerked out of her seat by an ecstatic Joy. Unenthused Seulgi and Yeri were squashed into each other under the force of the other duo's sappy hug. 

"Come on, unnie!" Joy called with a beaming smile, reaching out to her with an extended limb.

Seeing the expression on YermSeul's faces, Irene tried to take advantage of her current freedom and weasel her way out of meeting a similar fate. "I don't think there's enough room for me, so I'll just be with you in spirit." 

"Then we'll make room." Wendy smiled and opened her arm in invitation; one Irene finally accepted. Joy reached over to help her out of her chair and all but forced Irene into the embrace making her squeal in surprise.

"We've got this." The eldest beta sighed in content with a sleazy expression on her face.

Joy chuckled, assessing their entire situation from a bird's eye view. "We're a fucking mess," Wendy shot her a glare that demanded she not ruin the moment. "I-In the best way!"

"We're all doomed." Yeri sighed lowly, readily accepting their fate when the company would inevitably find out that all four of them would be terminating their contracts. 

"Well, at least we're all doomed together!" Yeri groaned with distaste as greasy Wendy nuzzled into her side. 

"This is sweet and all, but my organs are already squeezed enough." Irene chuckled throatily thus putting an end to the group hug.

"Sorry." The other, taller raven chirped, giving Irene's tummy an apologetic pat. 

"So... what now?" Yeri inquired. "Do we break the news to SM?" 

"For now, let's wait until just after the concert." Seulgi suggested. "Otherwise, they may try to cancel the show last minute and fans don't deserve that."

Wendy turned to Irene and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Will you be okay staying here with the tenant?"

"It's only for a few days. We'll be fine." The omega said with a smile and a hand resting over her swell - the implications of her words making the others smile. 

"Alright then. I guess we should get packing."

"Break!" Yeri shouted like a football player, running out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Slow down! Before you break something!" Irene called after her, but her scolding fell upon deaf ears. Joy chuckled and shook her head.

"It's hard to take her seriously when she still acts like a kid."

"Look who's talking." Wendy jabbed, laughing at the playful warning glance Joy shot her as she popped a few blueberries into her mouth. "I guess you're right, though; Yerimmie is and always will be unnie's first baby." The comment was added on as a joke, but it wasn't too far from the truth. Although Yeri was already well into adulthood, Irene couldn't help but see her as the happy, smiling ten year-old she met in the practice room so many years ago. And while she had grown into such a wonderful young woman, Irene still saw bits and pieces of that child come out when she laughed and smiled the way she used to. She had missed seeing those little reminders lately.

Irene watched Yeri carefully correct the position of the wooden bear sculpture she nearly knocked over in her rush with a warm, motherly smile. "She's all grown up now; you all are." Wendy and Joy put on little smiles of their own as they continued reaching into the strainer full of blueberries sitting on the island. 


	30. XXX

"I call shotgun!" Yeri ran through the door, her small form nearly invisible through a suit of luggage, nearly knocking Joy over in the process of making a bee line towards the road.

The tallest of the five turned around and shot the excited maknae an annoyed glance, watching her run down the pathway towards the van waiting for them at the curb. "Who died and made you queen!?" She shouted, swiftly running after her making Yeri squeal through a string of loud cackles. Due to the excessive amount of baggage wrapped around her person, Yeri flopped over onto the soft, green grass of the front lawn, laughing and struggling to get back up with Joy playfully slapping her stomach. The scene made Irene smile and shake her head from her place on the front porch.

Wendy turned her attention from the shrieking maknae line to her unnie's laden tummy, flashing a little smile and crouching down to press a kiss over the top of it. "Bye, pumpkin." When she stood back to her full height, the runt's mother and sire intuitively leaned in for a kiss only to catch themselves just in time. Instead, Wendy flashed Irene another small smile and landed the second kiss on her cheek instead. "See you in a few days!" She chirped, lifting the handle on her suitcase and fixing the strap of her backpack to fit more comfortably over her shoulder.

"Don't hesitate to call or text us if anything happens." Seulgi added while already on her way down the steps. 

"Alright. Say hello to everyone for me!" 

"Will do! We'll send you a video message after each show!" With a cheerful but solemn smile, Irene pulled the glass door closed behind her and watched them finish loading their things into the van before driving off. They rolled the tinted windows down to wave and honk the car horn until they disappeared around the corner.

Irene closed the front door and locked it, turning around with a soft sigh. She was alone again, only this time she didn't feel nearly as frightened or lonely. The house had adopted the familiar scents of her members and had more than just a few traces of them laying around. It would be her pups' first home and that reason alone was enough to make her feel more at ease.

* * *

The night after her members left for Japan, Irene was busy picking up a few stranded snack wrappers off of the table in the living room. She had done the best she could in her state to clean the place up for her temporary visitor so she would feel more at ease. Granted, she was nervous to welcome a complete stranger into her home - especially with her becoming more skeptical of who comes near her litter and the nursery - but she figured she could use the extra help. A faint knock on the door made her heart leap in her chest. Using the longer amount of time it took her to waddle from the couch to the door, she took a moment to gather her nerves and turned the bronze door handle. When it was opened, she was greeted by a taller man she recognized as one of SM's security management staff with a short brunette girl at his side.

"Good evening, Joohyun-ssi," The man's abysmal voice rumbled as he bent at the hip in a polite bow. "This is Gwan Eunyeong. She will be looking after you until the others get back. If you need anything, anything at all, she'll be happy to help you." Irene looked at the beta girl standing in front of him. She never once glanced up from her phone. She appeared to be quite a few years younger - maybe even younger than Wendy and Seulgi - and was apparently the youngest daughter of one of the corporate agents. It was clear she had no interest in being there considering her deep sighs and loud bubble gum pops. When she finally looked up, she gave Irene a once-over without a change in her bored facial expression.

"Hey." The girl greeted, smacking loudly on her piece of chewing gum. 

"I'll leave you ladies to it," He stated, turning to walk back towards his black Cadillac. "Give me a call if you need anything Eunyeong-ah."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." With that, the driver's side door slammed shut and the car drove off down the street of the wealthy neighborhood. Irene moved aside to welcome the girl in, smiling warmly in greeting. However, Eunyeong failed to notice or just didn't care enough to acknowledge the kind gesture. Instead, she showed herself in and took a good look around with a discerning eye. 

"Eck! It looks so brown and gloomy in here! Didn't you think to paint the walls beforehand?"

"Um, I don't own the house so it's not really my place to say." Irene chuckled shyly, a bit taken aback by the girl's lack of manners.

Eunyeong clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked up at the vaulted ceilings and skylights up above with a sigh. "I guess it's fine. I'll only be here for a few days anyway." She handed her bag off to a rather perplexed Irene before making her way towards the bedrooms. "Where will I be sleeping?" She popped her gum loudly to the point where it aggravated Irene's sensitive ears. 

"My room. Down the hall and to your right." Eunyeong looked down the corridor with a frown.

"Have the sheets been washed?" Irene nodded. "Good. You can just set my things down in there." Without another word, the entitled rich girl walked off into the kitchen leaving the very pregnant omega to work as her bellhop. Not one to initiate confrontation with strangers, Irene begrudgingly did so. Once the girl's things were placed on the floor of her accommodations, Irene took a moment to catch her breath and realign her already aching spine. She was already beginning to dread spending the next five days with such an arrogant brat for company. Then again, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was just having an off day?

Deciding she should at least give herself a chance to warm up to Eunyeong, Irene waddled her way into the kitchen to join her visitor. She was seated at the table with her feet propped up on the chair neighboring hers, typing out what must have been an entire series of best-selling novels over Messenger. Trying her best not to judge, Irene went about her own business as usual. She figured she would quickly cook something for them to share before her back and knees got too sore. However, once she realized the measuring cup she needed was too high for her to reach, she quietly called Eunyeong for assistance.

"Eunyeong-ssi?"

"Mhm?" The woman hummed with disinterest, never once looking up from her phone screen. As it was, Irene already felt guilty asking anyone for help - even her members - and her new caretaker was not making it any easier for her. Having a complete stranger sitting around while she tried to tend to her own needs with her mammoth belly leading the way was only making her more anxious, if anything.

"Um. Would you mind helping me reach a measuring cup?" Irene sweetly inquired, having already tried herself but to no avail.

"Hm, sounds like a you problem to me," She grumbled rudely. "Get it yourself." Irene pursed her lips, but didn't press any further. Instead, she figured she would just eyeball it and hope for the best. "You know, my sister just had a baby and she didn't get _nearly_ as big as you. Your alpha must be a fucking giant."

"I'm actually carrying triplets." The omega replied, trying not to stir the pot too much.

"Damn, no wonder you're a fucking whale!" Eunyeong laughed. "I'm surprised you can even stand up straight!"

Irene's patience was hanging on by a meer thread over a sea of shark-infested waters. _"_ That's why they _brought you here."_ She spat softly through gritted teeth. 

"What's that?"

"Oh, nothing." Irene sighed, reaching for one of the spices she had set off to the side.

"Hey, while you're at it, you think you could make me something too? I'm _starving,_ " Irene took a moment to calm her nerves, staring over the pot at the tile backsplash plastered to the wall behind the stove. She had never hated someone so quickly in her entire life; not even her own parents. This girl completely disregarded proper etiquette and was so socially unaware it made Irene's skin crawl. "Hello?"

"There's enough tteokbokki for both of us."

"Ew, I'll pass." Irene's eyes rolled back in her head. At this point, she was done giving Eunyeong the benefit of the doubt. She was a bonafide, stuck-up, prissy little princess that would drive Irene closer and closer to the brink of insanity with each passing moment of her visit and she haven't even been with her for a full fifteen minutes yet.

"Well, could you at least reach into the cupboard and get the measuring cup for me?"

Her humble request was met with a dramatic sigh. "I don't know why Daddy even bothered sending me here, I'm getting paid twenty bucks an hour just to watch your fat ass waddle around. Just stop being lazy and get it yourself."

Eunyeong jumped in alarm when the wooden spoon Irene had been using to stir her concoction slammed against the side of the pot on the stove. She boggled her eyes, watching as Irene extinguished the little blue flame and covered the tteokbokki with saran wrap to be warmed up again later.

"I've lost my appetite."

With that, Irene waddled out of the room to go calm herself down.

* * *

The more time she spent in Eunyeong's presence, the more irritated Irene became. What was only a few days felt like several years with how slowly time was dragging its feet. Not only was the girl a headache to be around, she was also keen on becoming Irene's second shadow. Everywhere she went to get a break, Eunyeong wasn't far behind and her parade of complaints was sure to follow suit.

The doctor had told Irene not to get too stressed as it would negatively effect her body's natural processes, but this girl was testing her limits as well as her patience. She felt so entitled as to touch Irene's body however she pleased without permission which earned her a few harsh smacks to the hands though, of course, she failed to take the hint. Instead, she continued running her hands all over Irene's stomach, sometimes being so brave as to touch her butt or chest, and constantly put her in the hotseat for a few rounds of the most invasive questions Irene had ever received. 

However, the night of her fourth day 'looking after' Irene was the woman's breaking point.

Irene was seated on the couch, watching whatever was on TV with a rather bored-looking Eunyeong sitting in the chair nearby. She released a long, clearly exaggerated sigh and let her eyes shift over to Irene while she waited for a response. When none came, she did so again - this time a little bit louder. Still no response.

"Ugh, I'm hungry."

"There's leftovers in the refrigerator," Irene murmured with disinterest. "Help yourself to whatever you'd like."

Eunyeong took offense to such a suggestion. "Aren't you going to cook for me!? I'm your guest!"

"Nope." The younger girl bit the inside of her cheek, but made no moves to get up and fix her own meal. Instead, she leaned on the arm of the chair and watched Irene's hand shift over the material of her shirt stretched taut to cover her expectant tummy in its entirety. 

"I noticed you don't have a mark," The girl stated with a quirked brow. "Did your boyfriend accidentally knock you up or something? Did he do it to mark his territory?" Her eyes suddenly widened with a gasp. "Were you raped!?"

"What? No!" Irene objected. "Long story short, my members and I placed a bet and I lost. Three of them are the sires, not that that's any of _your_ business."

"Ah, a little four-on-one action," Eunyeong cooed sleazily. "How'd you do it? Was it good? I hear bigger litters come from primes doing it doggy style." When her barrage of inappropriate questions remained unanswered, she began to grow cross with the woman she wanted to entertain her. Her tone suddenly turned sour and passive-aggressive in nature. "It's a shame, really. You used to be so pretty. Why let your body go to waste just to be some slutty brood mare? You could've saved your figure and gotten an abortion." Irene bit her lower lip. The words stung, but she knew that if she acknowledged what she said, she would fall right into the trap Eunyeong had set for her so instead, she bit her tongue and tried her best to focus on the TV program playing in front of her. 

Seeing that her tactics were not working as well as she had hoped, Eunyeong decided to strengthen her advances. She got up from her chair and slipped in beside Irene on the couch. The older had noticed and scooched to the other side to distance herself from the girl she didn't deem trustworthy enough to be within arm's reach of her precious payload. However, in doing so she had trapped herself against the other arm of the sofa. When Eunyeong slid over once more and leaned in to whisper in her ear, Irene's adrenaline levels shot sky high. 

"Let me show you a good time," Irene stared down at the hand seductively walking over her belly and gulped. "I've been meaning to try it with an omega and I know you haven't been getting any lately. Consider this me doing you a favor. It's not like anyone else would want to touch you," Her hand lethargically rubbed circles over her abdomen, the girl's warm breath tickling her ear. "They say the bigger the melon, the sweeter the flavor." Irene blinked her tears away and slapped the younger girl's hand hard enough to divert her attention. She managed to get away fast enough and locked herself in the nursery with Eunyeong's pathetic curses echoing in from the living room.

"Hello!? Daddy!? She just _attacked_ me!"

Irene muffled her sobs with her hand, sliding down the surface of the door to sit on the carpet and cry her moment of fear away. As if the girl's predatory advances weren't scary enough, she felt so helpless being as heavy as she was. What if she hadn't been able to get up as quickly as she did? Eunyeong certainly wasn't the type willing to take no for an answer.

Irene didn't even want to fathom the possibilities.

The pups had apparently noticed their mother's sudden changes in emotion and kicked gently while releasing their budding scents to ease her fluctuating hormone levels. It was a natural survival tactic that evidently worked wonders. Irene's quivering breaths slowly faded to soft sniffles as she dried her eyes with her shirt sleeves. She only had to endure one more day with the girl and she would never have to see her again - maybe even less considering the fact that she was wailing to her father through the phone about how awful her stay had been. Still, Irene no longer felt safe with her around. What if she got angry and pursued her after she was through whining to her father?

She fished into her back pocket and pulled out her phone, the brightness of the screen nearly blinding her due to the lack of light in the room. Her lock screen was set to a picture of the sky, but her home screen was an old picture of her and the other members making weird faces into the camera during their second ISAC appearance. The sight of it made her smile, but also made a few new tears well up in her eyes.

She pressed Seulgi's contact in her phone, her thumb hovering just over the call button, but she couldn't bring herself to press it. They were probably about to wrap up the show, given the time and she didn't want to dangle anything over their heads right after their last performance as members of Red Velvet.

As Irene was about to call the security manager, a notification banner dropped down from the top of her screen. Curious, she opened it and smiled at a picture of the other four posing in front of the crowd at the concert venue, all of which were holding signs in her honor with a vast sea of Kim Man Bongs behind them glowing in her signature color. It was a simple photo, but that single image was worth a thousand words for her. 

Unfortunately, the raging banshee outside ruined the moment for her. Irene had officially had enough of Gwan Eunyeong to last her a lifetime. Without a second thought, Irene dropped her phone on the carpet and heaved herself up, slinging the door to the nursery open. Eunyeong jumped and quickly opened her mouth to tell her off, but could only watch as a very pregnant and very fed up Irene marched into her own room and started gathering Eunyeong's things.

"What do you think you're doing!?" The girl shrieked. "Those are expensive!"

"You've overstayed your welcome." Irene stated, tossing suitcase after suitcase out onto the porch - some of which were not properly zipped. The young beta gasped and tried to gather the array of clothes that had spilled out of her burping pink Gucci suitcase. 

"How dare you!"

"Have your _D_ _addy_ come pick you up. I can't be bothered to call you a taxi, seeing as how you couldn't even lift a finger to grab a measuring cup. Have a good night." Before the younger could protest, Irene slammed and locked the door in her face.

"You'll be hearing from my attorney!"

As she slowly came back down from her adrenaline rush, Irene began to wonder if she had been to cruel. Then again, the brat was a nightmare come to life. She supposed she had done them both a favor; Eunyeong was bored out of her skull and Irene was stressed just having her around. She would just have to take it easy until the others returned. 

She spared one last glance through the window as a black car pulled up outside. Not in the mood to explain herself, Irene turned off the porch light as the universal sign to go away. When she was sure that the car had left, Irene sighed in relief and followed it up with a loud yawn. All of that sudden exercise and anxiety combined with carrying around the weight of her front side had drained all of her already dwindling energy out into a puddle on the floor. Deciding she had earned the rest, Irene flicked off the lights in the living room and turned in for a good night's sleep in Wendy's vacant bed.


	31. XXXI

White noise coming from the motion of the aircraft as well as the familiar sounds of Seulgi's soft snores in the seat beside her serenaded Wendy during her mid-flight preoccupations. The little light above her seat illuminated the tray table folded out over her lap. On it was her handy dandy journal opened to a random page marked by a Polaroid photo she had taken of Irene during their promotional trip to Switzerland. Her neat and tidy penmanship was scratched out in several places while other words had question marks and poorly executed doodles around them.

Wendy scratched her head with the back of her pen in thought. A sudden weight on her left shoulder made her jump only to realize it was just Seulgi's head rolling around in her slumber. She let the alpha use her as a pillow while she wrote down another name that came to mind only to grimace and scribble it out like it had never happened. However, her aggressive pen movements ripped a sizable hole in the paper which was more than just a bit upsetting for Wendy.

She looked up at the image of a smiling Irene gazing into the camera over her shoulder through a pair of glasses that would make Harry Potter green with envy and sighed. She was running out of time. Both Seulgi and Joy had come up with great names for their kids, so why couldn't she seem to do the same? Irene was knocking on the door of her eighth month of pregnancy. Who's to say the pups wouldn't decide to come a few weeks early? Wendy liked to be as prepared as possible, but nothing could have prepared her for the hidden variables that came with having her first child. She began to question whether or not she would make a good enough parent for the little light of her life. While Irene had her maternal instincts to fall back on, Joy was over the moon, but was fighting her own demons to the point where she hadn't gotten a chance to show it. But Seulgi, however, was a bit of a different story.

As a sire and Irene's best friend, she was trying her best to welcome her son with open arms, however, she was constantly at war with herself. It wasn't because of her need to be free nor her personal dreams and desires, but because of her upbringing. All her life, thoughts of siring a strong family had been drilled into her head by her somewhat traditional family. Granted, the Kangs were much less adamant than the Baes were and loved their daughter very much, but even still that wasn't saying too much on their behalf. Since Seulgi's older brother was born a beta and she an alpha, the Kang family's inheritance and legacy would fall squarely on her shoulders and into the arms of her children. It was a heavy burden to carry; especially for someone who was too young to even think about starting a family at the time. Fast forward fifteen years, and her parents were ecstatic to learn that their daughter was a prime and was expecting her first pup as well; not only that, but a pup borne by the lovely Bae Joohyun.

Seulgi's parents had always been fond of Irene ever since the day she was introduced to them as Seulgi's first real girlfriend. So fond of her, in fact, that they began to jokingly refer to her as their daughter in law in the presence of their neighborly but nosey friends. When the couple split, they had been more devastated than the duo themselves. They wanted to see them grow old together with a few healthy litters under their belts, but they had only scratched the very surface of their tragic love story. While Seulgi was very frank and blunt about what she thought of things, she bit her tongue when it came to talking about mating and pups. It just wasn't a lifestyle that appealed to her, unfortunately. 

That said, she was both thrilled and terrified of her unborn son. Some days, she wanted to speak to him through Irene's stomach like everyone else while others, she would break down and cry out of sheer petrification. She had named the child Rowoon after her late great-uncle; the only man who had ever seemed to understand her longing to live without tethers. After all, he was a nomad himself; living out his days in a rusty old van he had won in a game of poker. While he may have been a bit of a nut case, and was pretty much shunned by the entire family, he had been all around the world and back several times; gathering knowledge, stories, and wisdom during his travels that he happily passed on to his nephew's youngest child. He had an amazing ability to see people for who they were regardless of culture, dynamic, gender, color, religion, or walk of life. She wanted to let a piece of such a wonderful, wandering spirit live inside of her only son. Giving the bouncing baby boy a sweet nickname seemed to help ease her apprehension as well, but she still had yet to get up close and personal with Irene's ballooning belly ever since the day she learned of her pups' existence. And yet, she loved the child as well as his brother they had sadly lost. The constant tug of war was giving the poor girl whiplash. She just wanted to be a good parent - make her grandfather proud - and not have those moments of fear any longer, but it was an uphill battle; one she was willing to fight.

As for Joy, while she had still been struggling with coming to terms with her dynamic identity, she had not let that come in between her and her paternal relationship with little Sooyun. Alpha or not, the child was hers and she wouldn't trade that reality for all of the wishes in the world. However, as she learned more and more about herself, she had learned the reasons behind why she was so intimidated by other alphas. It wasn't because they were aggressive. Rather, she was romantically attracted to members of her own dynamic. It was a jarring realization to come to, but she had grown to accept it all the same. Had she come out to her members yet? No, but that was certainly something in the works for the time being. 

Even the young maknae had her own issues with adapting to the changes around her. While she had matured enough to digest the fact that she would no longer be the baby of the group any more, she still had trouble stomaching the thought of losing Irene's displays of motherly affection once her _real_ babies arrived. She felt like she was being put on the back burner, not that she would ever admit it to her members. She knew it would be selfish to demand attention from the woman who raised her when there would be three needy infants crying for it constantly, but she just couldn't help herself. She was resistant to change, but her position as the group's maknae and playful spirit had always remained the same with the showers of sisterly love from her unnies along with it. Now, even that would be changing and it was taking a while for Yeri to catch up.

The lot of them had quite a bit of growing to do before they were ready to properly welcome Irene's first brood into the world, but all of it would make them better parents and better _people_ in the long run.

Wendy closed her eyes and rested her head back against her seat; Seulgi still obliviously snoring into her shoulder. After so many days apart, she was just glad to go home to the woman she loved; this time for a very, very long time. She read that Irene was bound to start nesting soon; a time where an omega readied their nursery and built a safe space out of things that brought them comfort to settle into. Historically, these nests would be the place where an omega would choose to give birth, and while that may no longer be the case, it was still a beautiful hallmark of nature's wonders during the last trimester of an omega's pregnancy. It would be a very exciting sign that Irene was rounding the curve and dashing into the final stretch. Wendy hoped that maybe someday soon she would feel her little one kick for the first time. The thought of sharing such a magical moment with Irene put a giddy smile on her tired face.

* * *

The newly retired members of Red Velvet slipped in through the front door one by one, carefully tiptoeing around despite the sounds of their suitcases' wheels squeaking loudly against the floorboards. While Yeri and Joy quietly rolled their things off towards the other side of the house, too exhausted after their early morning flight and hectic week to make time for conversation, Seulgi and Wendy looked around for any signs of the domestic omega. For now, the house was quiet. Everything appeared to be in its proper place and Irene was not yet curled up in the corner of the nursery so they clearly hadn't missed the ceremonial building of her nest, much to Wendy's relief. However, the lack of a response to their rather noisy arrival was certainly concerning.

"Hyunnie?" Wendy called, but received no reply. Without a word, Seulgi left her things where she stood and wandered off down the shallow strip of hallway separating Irene and Wendy's rooms. When she got there, she noticed that the resident raven's door was wide open and her bed was left in a vacant mess of twisted sheets and what appeared to be drool stains on the pillow cases. When the alpha turned to look at her friend in confusion, Wendy pressed a finger to her lips, pointing towards her own room with her free hand. She carefully peeked inside and smiled at the little cocoon her bed's current occupant had made out of her grandmother's quilt.

"I think someone misses you." Seulgi said with a soft smile, giving Wendy's back a reassuring pat before walking away. Once she was gone, the beta quietly padded her way across the room towards the side of the bed and took a moment to admire the woman she loved sleeping so peacefully in her stead. The serene radiance of the dozing bunny's face was so precious; swaddled in one of Wendy's most prized possessions, all cozy and warm as though the blanket would protect her from anything that could ever harm her. The scene was so... tranquil. A few dazzling rays of white light coming in through the windows bathed her pale skin in a heavenly glow. She looked like an angel.

Not wanting to wake the older girl, Wendy gently pulled her beloved quilt up to cover Irene's bare shoulder and pressed a feather light kiss to the woman's forehead. The sweet sentiment subconsciously brought a tiny smile to Irene's lips. She sighed, snuggling deeper into the pillows with a look of pure bliss on her features, her long lashes slowly fluttering opened. As her eyes adjusted to the light in the room, she could recognize that the subject of her sweetest dreams was standing beside the bed. Irene's tiny smile grew about two or three sizes.

"You're home." She cooed sweetly, reaching her arms up to stretch. 

"We wanted to surprise you, but I'm glad you've been catching up on your beauty sleep." She said, taking a seat on her own preferred side of the bed. Once it was through pushing a few unruly strands of hair away from her face, Irene gently placed Wendy's warm hand against her cheek and nuzzled into it.

"I miss you." At first she assumed Irene had made a grammatical error to blame on her sleepy stupor, but then she soon realized the deeper implications behind the present tense she chose. Even with Wendy seated right beside her, she missed being _with_ her. As much as she wanted to kick her resolve to the curb and kiss the other woman senseless, Wendy knew that initiating a new relationship while Irene was still heavy with child was not a wise decision in the slightest. She had to wait for the omega to empty her womb, make a full recovery, and see to it that her pups were properly settled before making any sudden moves.

"Do you still love me as much as I love you?" The beta inquired, stroking the other's soft cheek with her thumb.

"Of course I do."

"Then you won't have to miss me much longer." Irene giggled, making Wendy smile and rest her forehead against the former's.

"You're such a dork." The raven sighed while grunting her way up into a seated position, using the headboard to support her sore back.

"But I'm _your_ dork." Wendy chuckled, "I'll always be your dork, even if you decide not to love me the same." Her hands gently tickled Irene's sides to lighten her weighted words. The older kicked and squealed, slapping Wendy's upper arm violently before settling back down again.

"I'm too smitten," The omega swooned softly. "You've got me wrapped around your little finger. I'd be a fool to let you go," Wendy's eyes shimmered with emotion, gazing deep into the other's soul with a warm smile that woke a few of those butterflies Irene kept locked in her rib cage. Noticing the honest reaction on the younger girl's features, Irene brought her concerns into the light. "Why do you look so surprised?" She chuckled.

"I don't know, I guess I just thought that maybe you'd want a big, strong, handsome alpha to come along and sweep you off your feet." 

"Why would I need one of those when I have you?" Irene purred with loving eyes, cupping Wendy's chin in a flirtatious gesture.

Wendy couldn't stifle a humored giggle. "Maybe we've been spending _too_ much time together. My greasiness is starting to rub off on you."

Irene's melodic laugh made Wendy's heart skip to the hasty beat of a butterfly's wings; those of a beautiful blue swallowtail that had decided to flutter by and perch himself on a dandelion growing in the yard just outside her bedroom window. A playful smile quirked the corners of the omega's lips as she leaned forward to get a better look at Wendy's pretty face, flashing her a little wink. "Hmm, that's not the only thing of yours that's rubbed off on me," Wendy hid her tomato red face behind her hands - an action that received another genuine laugh from Irene. "Oh, Seungwan-ah, I'm only teasing." She kissed the backs of the younger girl's hands, encouraging her to drop them back down to her lap. They did as they were told, though the blonde's gaze quickly landed on the swollen bump of Irene's middle; the quilt her grandmother made for her covering the swell - almost jerking a few tears from her eyes. It amazed her how quickly she had grown. It seemed like only yesterday she had felt that first little hint of a baby bump hidden beneath her clothes. Now, she was undeniably expecting and it only made Wendy want to hold her more.

With the knowledge that Irene was becoming more and more protective and sensitive towards people touching her belly, despite her status as a sire, Wendy was polite enough to ask permission first. "May I?" Irene nodded, moving her hands away to allow one of her begetters access to her otherwise well-guarded tummy. The petite beta smiled down at the hand resting over the bred omega's womb, giving it a gentle rub. "How are the youngyens?"

"Heavy," Irene chuckled, resting her own hand over the top of her aching stomach. "I think they've hit a growth spurt since the last time you've seen them."

"That quick?" Wendy laughed with that same shimmer of love in her eyes. "I guess that's good. You _are_ almost thirty weeks along."

Irene groaned dramatically, her head falling back against the wooden headboard with a dull thud. "It's only been thirty weeks?"

The beta cracked a smile, though she did have a bit of sympathy towards the mother to be. "Look on the bright side; at least you only have two more months! Maybe even less, if the pups decide they want out early. You're due to start nesting within the next few weeks, according to my book."

Irene cocked a curious brow and lifted her head. "Your book?" Wendy blushed.

"I bought a book a while back about omegan pregnancy," She confessed shyly. "I wanted to know what was going on and how to help you more."

"Awe, well aren't you a gentleWan," Irene cooed teasingly, laughing at the affect her words had on Wendy's body temperature - judging by the redness on her cheeks. She slid a hand down to cup itself over Wendy's free one resting on the bed. "You're right, though. I have been feeling some urges lately." Wendy watched the woman's hand rub lethargic circles over her stomach in thought.

"The sitter didn't go in the nursery, did she?" Irene's soft features quickly turned sour. 

"Not on my life," She grumbled. "That girl was a nightmare; no filter, no manners - she practically made the house into her temporary castle and _I_ was her maidservant." Her words surely struck a nerve in Wendy.

"Did she hurt you?"

"Not physically, no," The raven sighed. "But if I'm honest, she did make me really uncomfortable. I probably would've been better off staying here on my own. All she did was nag and demand things from me, touch me inappropriately - at one point, she even asked me if I could go out and buy a hot pink bed spread to better _'fit her aesthetic.'_ " Irene mocked in a voice laced with disgust. However, one earlier statement sent cold snakes slithering up the beta's spine.

"She... _touched_ you?" Irene pursed her lips and nodded. "How? Where?"

Her cheeks were dusted fuchsia with embarrassment. "You know, my... um..." The omega bashfully gestured towards her chest, stomach, thighs, and butt - Wendy's horrified expression growing with each new region emphasized on her leader's body.

"She practically molested you!" Wendy whined angrily, though was careful not to alert the others just yet in case there was more that needed to be said, which there wasn't. "Did you call the police!?"

"I kicked her out and her chaperone came to pick her up. I guess I didn't think to call the police." A pair of pale arms wrapped Irene's stout figure in a comforting hug - one that surprised its recipient, but was quietly reciprocated. 

"Oh unnie, I'm so sorry," Wendy whispered while soothingly carding her fingers through Irene's lustrous locks. "Seulgi had a feeling something wasn't right with the arrangement, but I guess I just don't have the alpha sense."

"It's alright," The omega called sweetly over Wendy's left shoulder. "You couldn't have known." Wendy's arms unknowingly coiled tighter around Irene making her wince due to their bodies' close proximity smothering her swollen breasts. "Wannie?"

"Yeah?"

"My chest..." The younger girl's arms immediately retracted.

"Sorry!" She hissed, making sure she hadn't squeezed her too tight. "I'm just glad you and the pups are okay."

"Honestly, at this point, I'm over it," Irene snorted, gently checking the tenderness in her sore chest. "I would much rather hear about how your last few days have been than worry about my own."

"Well, are you hungry? I'd be happy to fill you in on everything. I'll make whatever you'd like."

The omega hummed and looked up as if she was deep in thought. She feigned being mindless of the subtle gnawing in her stomach for a while before replying. "Yeah, I could eat."

"Tteokbokki?" Irene couldn't suppress her grimace. Just the thought of her favorite food at the moment reminded her of Eunyeong.

"Why don't we just order in?" She suggested. "That way you won't have to lift a finger."

"Bae Joohyun denying tteokbokki!?" Wendy playfully gasped with widened eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with our unnie!?"

"I swallowed her." Irene laughed, playing along with the joke. However, her self-degrading remark didn't sit well with Wendy. 

"Stop it! You're beautiful!" 

"Oh, shut up," Irene scoffed through a laugh, pretending there wasn't some internal honesty behind her earlier response. "I'm not blind, Seungwan-ah. I know I'm big. I was just trying to play along."

"Oh," Wendy sighed in relief. "Well, you'd look fantastic no matter what size you are. If anything, I love you even more now that you're making our little sunshines." Wendy cooed, giving Irene's middle a playful poke.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Wendy's face fell.

"Not yet," She sighed softly in disappointment. "Why? Have you?" 

Irene looked down at herself and smiled, rubbing the top of her swell where their little one rested. "I have an idea, but I think I want to meet her first before I say anything." Wendy quietly watched the little interaction and nodded.

"Well, let's go get some food in your system." She said, standing up and reaching out to help Irene up as well. As she carefully pulled her arms so that Irene was safely standing on her own two feet, she received a little peck to the cheek that covered her skin in giddy goosebumps.

"I love you."

A hand came up and trapped the kiss against her flushed cheek - eyes wide as her brain practically shut down. Her reaction garnered an adorable giggle that jingled as sweetly as a bell on the harness of Santa's prized reindeer. While Wendy nearly died of cardiac arrest, Irene smiled shyly to herself on her way out into the hallway, covering the tell-tale signs of puppy-love on her face with the sleeve of her shirt.

* * *

That night after dinner, Irene had happily agreed to spend some quality time with their attention-starved maknae. They curled up together on the couch, Yeri leaning against the arm with Irene's head resting in her lap. The latter hadn't been paying much attention to the plot of the movie they were supposed to be watching as she was too busy fighting off her drooping eyelids. While her overworked and pup-heavy body begged her to doze off and restore some of her energy, Irene didn't want to waste a second of her rare one-on-one time with the younger girl.

A loud yawn caught Yeri's attention and compelled her to turn her head away long enough to speak to her sleepy couch companion. "If you're tired, go ahead and go to sleep. There’s no need to push yourself to stay awake."

"No, no," Irene squinted and waved her hand dismissively as another mighty yawn overcame her. "I'll be fine." Yeri watched in amusement as her unnie struggled to keep her weary eyes open. She turned her head back towards the TV and watched with a disapproving grimace as the main character dramatically kissed her love interest in the pouring rain.

"As romantic as people think that is, they never show the gnarly chest cold that comes after it," She snorted. "Right, unnie?" Her inquiry was met with only silence. 

"...Unnie?" Confused, Yeri looked down at Irene’s head resting in her lap. Pulling a strand of dark locks away from the woman’s face, she couldn’t suppress a smile at the sight of Irene; sound asleep with a few soft snores purring in her sinuses. "Well, it’s for the best anyway," She sighed, carefully placing a hand over the side of Irene’s swell. "You’re working hard." A quick thump against the palm of her hand made her heart skip a beat. Her attention was immediately drawn away from the glowing screen once more as she patiently waited for any other signs of movement. "Can you do it again?" She whispered, leaning in closer to Irene's stomach while being careful not to wake the pup's mother. A few moments later, she felt another, more assertive nudge against her palm. 

She stifled a joyful sob with her free hand and continued feeling Seulgi's pup reach out to greet her. "Hi!" She whispered in disbelief.

A cold hand rested over her own making her jump and blush a little out of the embarrassment of being caught. Irene's eyelids were still drooping under the weight of her building exhaustion. She too had felt her son's playful kicks and had grown rather tired of them by now as they were the main cause of her sleep deprivation. Still, it was the first time anyone else had been able to feel the pups' movements and Irene was glad that it had been under Yeri's hand. It made her feel more included in the whole experience and gave her the right to say that she had beaten the sires to the punch.

Irene gently pressed the pads of her fingers into her swollen belly to play with Rowoon back, flashing a soft, motherly smile at the series of happy kicks that followed. She quickly moved the maknae's hand to rest over her lower abdomen and watched the girl's expressions change. One kick in particular had a little extra umph to it. Irene grunted in surprise and followed it up with an airy chuckle, but her eyes quickly returned to their preferred subject; gazing up at the maknae's tearful face. 

"I think he likes you." 


	32. XXXII

The TV's pause screen illuminated the otherwise dark living room, a logo bouncing from one side of the frame to the other. Cicadas, crickets, and little green tree frogs orchestrated a soothing summertime lullaby that blanketed the house in the sounds of nature. While a volume dial would have been nice, their twelve hour song was much more tranquil than the angry car horns and drunken laughter the members were once used to hearing at such a late hour.

Irene woke on the couch feeling uncomfortably warm; not only due to the fuzzy feeling in her head, but also the soft pressure against her chest. Squinting in the darkness, she could make out a figure curled up against her and recognized it to be Yeri's. The maknae had apparently dozed off, but didn't have the will power to carry herself back to her and Joy's room. Instead, she had buried her head in Irene's chest and used the woman's superhuman body temperatures as a means to keep warm. However, as much as she wanted to continue being the maknae's personal radiator, Irene had experienced an influx of sudden urges that needed to be answered. 

She managed to slip away undetected and began to assemble an array of comfy throw pillows that had called the living room their home. She gave them each a quick smell test, tossing back the ones that smelled too new and lacked the calming scents of her litter's other parents. When she was satisfied with what she had collected, Irene padded off towards the nursery with a heap of soft things in tow.

Once she found a corner next to the triplets' crib that satisfied her standards, the omega began to arrange her materials into an organized shape; first placing down the larger pillows and branching the rest out from there. She worked off of raw omegan instinct; placing the cushions just so, adding a few of the babies' blankets so that her scent would rub off on them, and fluffing a few of the pillows until they were plump enough to join the arrangement. Right now, all she wanted to do was find more soft things that smelled like her litter's sires to add to her nest. Happy with the framework she had thus far, Irene got up to retrieve a few more personal pieces of memorabilia belonging to the fools that had impregnated her. 

The resident bear woman was her first unsuspecting victim. Seulgi lay fast asleep; sprawled out on her back as usual with her limbs spread in all directions and her mouth hanging open to allow a few soft snores their freedom. Still trapped under the spell of her innate urge to nest, Irene selected Seulgi's favorite gray lounging hoodie out of the sea of clothes littering her bedroom floor. She took a good whiff and sighed with satisfaction at the bold, flowery fragrance that greeted her lungs. Seulgi's son kicked with glee, excited to have picked up on his nearby sire's scent himself. It still wasn't enough, though. Frantically looking around the room in the dark, Irene took a smiling pineapple plushie off of the nearby shelf and was finally content with what she had gathered from one of her studs. During her hazardous trek through the minefield of clothes separating her from the door, Irene spotted one of Seulgi's infamous blazers and decided she liked the material of it, draping it over her arm as well.

On her way through the kitchen, Joy rounded the far corner; rubbing her eye sleepily with a yawn. She noticed Irene up and about, but didn't have a sharp enough mentality to stop and ask what she was up to at 3:30 in the morning. After all, she had only gotten up to grab a quick drink of water before going back to bed herself. She didn't say a word to the tubby woman waddling by and instead let the tap run into an empty glass, wishing to become a horse so she could sleep standing up.

Meanwhile, Irene shamelessly rooted around for something of Joy's to use as more nesting material. It was much easier said than done, however, as Joy's dog, Haetnim, was also asleep in her own bed and Irene had no intentions of waking her up. She quickly grabbed one of the pillows off of Joy's bed, recalling that she had already been given a pink rabbit and a baby blanket with a trace of the alpha's scent on it. In a last second decision she made while passing Yeri's closet, she borrowed the beta's wool winter scarf just to add a bit of her into the mix for the sake of the pups' familiarity. Having swiftly wrapped up her hunt through the maknae line's bedroom, Irene padded through the door; nearly bumping into a returning Joy in passing. The alpha moved aside and watched her leave, groggily scratching her head in confusion.

Last but not least came Wendy's room. However, unlike the other members, she was out like a light and wasn't nearly as heavy of a sleeper as Seulgi although, in that particular moment, Irene didn't seem to care. Ready to lay down herself, she just waltzed in unannounced and carefully pulled the sacred quilt off of the bed before turning on her heels to leave with it. Wendy stirred awake, squinting with a deep inhale as the blurred image of Irene rounded the corner on her way back to the nursery. She figured the tiny woman was just cold and liked her grandmother's blanket as much as she did. Not thinking much of it, Wendy rested her head back on her pillow with a hollow sigh.

Just a few rooms over, the last several items Irene had gathered were thoughtfully placed in her nest. It was quickly becoming a race against time as her urges became less productive and more sluggish in nature. It was her body's way of telling her that it was ready to roost and stockpile as much energy as it could until its precious babies were due. Finally content with the fruit of her hard labor, Irene wrapped Seulgi's blazer over her shoulders like a cape and burrowed her pregnant self under Wendy's quilt - still warm from the beta's trapped body heat. While anyone else would have probably been overwhelmed by seven distinct aromas encompassing them, Irene had never felt more relaxed. The only way it could get any better than this would be having all of her members curled up in her nest with her - not that she would ever let that happen. For one thing, there wasn't enough room. However, there was also an additional unspoken rule that no one was allowed anywhere near her precious nest (unless the perpetrator had some sort of a death wish.)

Irene took her time getting comfortable as she subconsciously knew it would be a while before she could get up again. She wound up settled on her right side, being extra cautious of her ripened belly while she tucked the quilt snugly around her expanding form. The moment her body knew that it was through moving, it immediately initiated the next step in the sequence.

The omega grit her teeth, closed her eyes, and grunted at a slow, downward-moving sensation that finally settled between her hips. Suddenly, her lungs opened up and Irene felt as light as a feather for the first time in several months. However, while her organs used for breathing were no longer being compressed by her expanding uterus, it felt like a bowling ball had sunk heavily down against her cervix. Irene checked both of her lower pups and found that one was noticeably out of its usual place.

Joy's baby had just dropped.

"I see you have my competitive spark." Irene chuckled, trying to get used to the feeling of having her unborn daughter's head sitting so low in her pelvis. Though Dr. Song had no doubts that the runt would be born last, there was no way for them to know for sure who would win the race between little Rowoon and Sooyun. Now that the latter had taken the initiative and was waiting patiently in ready position, it was essentially confirmed that she would be the first one out. It was a good thing, too, since she was the biggest of the bunch and would require the most energy during delivery. "I get a feeling you're gonna be a lot like your Mommy," She murmured quietly to the eager pup sitting at the bottom of her womb. "Tall, confident, dramatic, opinionated, feminine..." A little kick of what seemed to be agreement made the woman smile and run a hand over the area gently. "I'm glad. You can have my competitiveness, but you'd do well to copy Mommy. You'll live a better life out here if you can be friendly and smile."

As her body slowly began to soften up and shut down again, Irene closed her eyes and listened to the wildlife still chirping away outside. She wasn't due to begin nesting for another week or so - much less feel a baby drop. This only meant that they would be greeting the pups much sooner than they had originally anticipated and as exciting as that was, Irene couldn't help but feel a bit worried. She was afraid of failing; failing to deliver three healthy infants, failing to make enough milk to keep them fed, failing to keep her chin up when the baby blues come creeping in, failing as a mother and a mentor in helping her kids grow up to reach their full potential. There was a lot riding on her success; so much that Irene was constantly piling on pound after pound of her own personal demands. She felt like she couldn't afford to make a mistake; like she had to strip herself of her humanity and become some holy figure to set a perfect example for her little ones. Of course, these ridiculously high expectations she had set for herself were virtually unobtainable, but that wouldn't stop Irene from trying to reach them regardless. She couldn't help it. She already loved her kids so much that she was willing to sacrifice her sense of self to be the perfect parent she thought they would need when in reality, all they needed was their eomma's unconditional love. 

With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and put those feelings on a shelf for the time being. Right now, her body was demanding some time for much needed hibernation and she was not one to defy nature's calling. She could feel herself slowly sinking into the Sandman's trap, comforted by the little movements inside of her as well as the calming serenade of crickets and tree frogs.

Sensing that their mother's body was swiftly falling asleep, the pups' movements stilled. While they didn't have the intelligence to properly digest the sounds of nature outside, they could hear them nonetheless and the sound was intriguing to their developing ears. It was their first real taste of the world beyond their mother's soothing voice and heartbeat and the muffled mumbles of their sires speaking to them. Someday soon they would be hearing all of these sounds clearly and know the feeling of being held by the people who loved them; each in their own unique fashion.

* * *

Several hours later, long after the sun had risen and their night musicians had gone to bed, Wendy came wandering out of her room with what appeared to be a bird's nest made of her own hair perched on her head. She released a loud yawn on her way to the kitchen; one that woke Yeri up from her slumber. The maknae caught the bug and yawned herself, stretching her back out over the length of the brown leather couch making it creak and groan.

However, something peculiar had caught Wendy's eye. The door to the nursery appeared to have been opened at some point during the night. Curious, Wendy walked over and poked her head in; suddenly clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. The moment she had been eagerly anticipating had finally arrived. There she was, Miss Bae Joohyun; curled up in the nest she had spent so many hours building the night before, swaddled and surrounded by her members' belongings. Having realized what was happening, Wendy almost peed herself from excitement. She jerked her head out of the crack in the door and tried to quietly summon the other two loitering nearby.

"Psst!" Yeri stopped in her tracks, sparing the blonde with a bewildered glance over her shoulder. When Joy didn't look up from her cereal bowl, seated only a few meters away at the kitchen table, Wendy rolled her eyes and hissed a little louder. This time, she looked up and flashed Wendy a 'wtf' glance. "She's nesting!" Wendy whispered, though she may as well have just mouthed the words from that distance.

A loud, slow crunch from a mouth full of cereal closing only added to the awkward energy in the room. "What?" 

"Shhhh!" Wendy peeked back inside to make sure the noise hadn't accidentally awakened the sleeping omega. When she was sure the older girl was not disturbed, her eyebrows shot up so high they nearly got lost in her hairline as she repeated herself once more. "She's nesting!" Slowly but surely, her words were ground up in the cogs of raven's brain and her eyes widened to prove it.

"Wait, really!?" A hand aggressively waved her over making Joy drop her spoon with a loud clank, quietly jogging over with Yeri not far behind her. The maknae line wedged themselves into whatever space they could get and peeked in through the crack in the door.

Just then, Seulgi came stomping out of her own room in her work uniform, fussing with the cuffed sleeves on her black collared shirt. She froze - staring at the oddly suspicious scene she had just unknowingly walked herself into. Her three younger members were crouching one on top of the other like a totem poll, gazing into the nursery with great intrigue. Wondering what all of the fuss was about, she too took a moment to look inside, and just like that, a cold chill ran up her spine making her breath snag in her throat. Having heard the hollow sound it made, Wendy smiled up at her friend and urged her to join them. Seulgi meekly shook her head and folded her arms over her chest, opting to keep her distance. However, that nervous energy didn't stop her eyes from gazing over the heads of the others.

Sensing a foreign presence at the door, Irene turned as much as she could to check behind her back. "Seungwan-ah..."

"Hey," The beta whispered, quietly moving to crouch beside Irene's nest. She was careful not to get too close as she valued all of her limbs and wasn't too thrilled about the thought losing any of them. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," The drowsy omega cooed softly, half way into a transition between head spaces. "Sooyun-ah dropped."

"Last night?" Irene nodded. All eyes warily watched her roll over, Wendy's quilt slipping away to expose her more heavy-set shape. It was clear to see that she had rounded out, though most of her weight had shifted lower on her body ever so slightly. If they thought she was big before, they had certainly eaten their words. She looked a few weeks overdue despite the fact that the pups were still very premature. Wendy swallowed the lump in her throat. "You're not in any pain, are you?"

"Just my hips, only because she's waiting to come out." The beta watched Irene's hand glide over her pale, taught skin; seeing the surface of it twitch and protrude slightly due to the babies' movements inside. She quickly turned to summon Joy's presence and her humble request was promptly met. Meanwhile, Seulgi and Yeri continued to watch cautiously from the doorway as Joy moved to sit on the floor beside Wendy.

"Hold out your hand." Joy swallowed, but did as she was told; holding her hand out for Irene to take and lay to rest over her warm stomach. For a moment, there was nothing but silence until the tiny kicks picked back up again - only this time due to the excitement of sensing the closeness of her Mommy's quivering touch. 

"Oh my god," Joy's whispering voice wavered with emotion, though her smile never faltered. She looked up at Irene in pure amazement. "That's her?" Irene nodded, quietly observing the younger's reactions.

"Can I feel her too?" All three figures turned around and raised their heads to look towards the source of the shy little voice. Yeri's cheeks burned bright red, but despite her nervous fidgeting, she seemed sure of her question. Joy shot her a welcoming smile and moved to make room between her and Wendy, patting the empty spot as a form of invitation. While the maknae sat down, it was clear to see that Irene was slipping back into her omegan head space again. Yeri noticed this and she suddenly became shy, her prior confidence seeping into the soft, cream-colored carpet underneath her. 

"Just go slow." Wendy helped her reach out in a non-threatening manner so as to not give Irene any reason to question their intentions. The omega simply watched calmly with a starry-eyed look as a soft hand rested over her abdomen, feeling her pup's squirming movements. However, her mellow demeanor was suddenly broken by a pained squeak that made Yeri jerk her hand back in alarm. Seulgi's grip tightened around the edge of the door, but she was too petrified to move. Instead, she could only watch on in horror as Irene whined through the pain.

The prime hissed and thrashed her head about, eyes screwed shut as the muscles lining her back and abdomen tightened on their own accord. "Is she okay!?" Yeri exclaimed in a panic. 

"She's fine," Wendy assured her while calmly running her fingers through the maknae's hair. "Just a few Braxton Hicks contractions."

"Contractions!?" The youngest of the five felt her breaths beginning to hasten under the impression that her unnie was already going into labor.

"Relax, Yerim-ah, it's just her body's way of practicing for the real deal." Yeri visibly calmed down, though she was still worried about her eldest unnie's condition. However, the fake contractions ended as quickly as they came and Irene 2.0 was soon back in her serene state again. Wendy took the distraught girl's wrist in her hand and guided it back towards the omega's belly. 

"You seem to know a lot about this stuff." Joy commented, watching quietly from the sidelines.

"I've been reading up on it." Once she was sure that things were fine again and that Irene would be left in good hands, Seulgi slipped away to get herself ready for her first shift at the cafe she had started working at to make ends meet.

Wendy lifted her eyes, questioning the hand that enthusiastically grabbed hers and laid it over a small bump closer to the top of her swell. She chuckled at the expectant, proud look on Irene's face, but didn't understand the reasoning behind it and moved her hand away from its given place. Irene huffed in frustration, this time physically holding the hand against the correct spot. Wendy looked from the omega's bright eyes down to the pale hand covering hers. Curious and confused all the same, she ran her hand over the bump and beamed from ear to ear. "That's her head, isn't it? Head?" She inquired, tapping her own hoping Irene would catch on to her context clues. The omega's bright, glowing smile let her know that she had understood and that her suspicions were correct. 

While her tummy was being explored, Irene gave her head a little tilt and smiled lovingly at the curious maknae who was too occupied playing some form of tag with Joy and baby Sooyun to notice her gaze. Without so much as a warning, Irene suddenly wrapped her arms around Yeri and pulled her into her nest, cradling her head with a content and happy sigh. The young beta practically coughed up a lung, waving her hand frantically in front of her face to waft away the woman's potent scent she was releasing into the air.

"Awe! She thinks you're her baby!" Wendy chuckled, watching while Irene sweetly tucked the younger girl in under the quilt with her. Once she was sure that her 'pup' was cozy, she pressed her head against her breast and began to groom the maknae's messy bed head. Yeri whined, wriggling in an effort to get out from under the hot blanket with the even warmer body pressed up against her. However, her efforts received a soft scolding from her new adoptive mother in the form of a little sound of objection that left the prime's tongue. She dutifully pulled her ornery pup back down into her nest so she could finish untangling a few remaining knots in her hair.

"I'm not your baby, unnie! I'm a grown woman!" But, of course, Irene couldn't understand such language while in her primal state. Instead, she continued tending to her overgrown child the best way she knew how.

"Well," Wendy said with a sigh, getting back on her feet with Joy following her lead. "I guess we'll leave you to it."

"Wait! Don't just leave me here!" Irene made a sound very similar to the coo of a dove, showering her biggest baby in her aroma with the intentions of lulling her down for a nap or a feeding (hopefully not the latter.)

"Bye, Yerimmie!" Wendy and Joy shared a playful giggle, pulling the door closed behind them.

"I hate you guys." Yeri muttered under her breath, pouting while Irene's hand gently stroked her head. 


	33. XXXIII

Wendy hummed quietly to herself, shifting a skillet loaded with a few pieces of steak over the stove. Outside of the kitchen window, the early autumn leaves were beginning to change colors and fall from their branches. The pups were due any day now and it had put everyone in good spirits. That is, everyone except for Irene.

Sure, she was excited to meet their little ones too, but she was also miserable. Carrying around three nearly full-term pups was no easy feat and had taken a physical toll on the poor woman's fragile body. That said, she was really hanging in there. While she could only bear to stay on her feet for so long, she made an effort to do at least one full lap per day around the lower floor of the house while she was in her right mind to make sure she didn't become too sedimentary. In the meantime, Seulgi had been working her tail off at the coffee shop so they would have at least a little money coming in. Though that meant she wasn't spending as much time with Irene as she probably should have, the arrangement worked well for her. As much as she hated to admit it, she was becoming more and more withdrawn from the reality waiting for her at home. She figured being the breadwinner for a while could be her way of chipping in her fair share of the work until she had to face the music. After all, she was paid rather handsomely and often earned quite a generous amount in tips from patrons who happened to recognize her. 

As for the other residents, they dedicated their time to personally helping Irene do everyday things she no longer had the ability to do such as prepare meals and carry herself from her nest to the common area. Wendy, of course, was the biggest example of this. After all, this was the woman she dreamed of calling her wife and mate someday. She even went out of her way to make sure Irene's room would be waiting for her when she was released from the hospital and those pesky nesting urges were finally extinguished. Meanwhile, Yeri had accepted her fate and begrudgingly fulfilled her new role as Irene 2.0's eldest pup. She let the older woman do pretty much whatever she wanted so long as it didn't interrupt whatever she was doing at the time; eating, reading, playing video games. Irene 2.0 seemed to respect this and quietly looked after the group's maknae like she was her own. Maybe somewhere deep down in the abyssal depths of the beta's soul there was a part of her that liked the extra attention.

For Joy, her designated task held a truly significant importance to Irene. After all, she couldn't let just anyone take charge of the laundry in her absence. She had become her apprentice of sorts and had temporarily earned the crown as the resident laundry queen. Of course, Joy being the confident diva she was, a fake crown was made for her to prance around in while folding and delivering baskets of clean clothes to their rightful owners. If they were ever unlucky enough to be in their rooms at the time, Joy would give them each a personalized runway strut and pose, demand to have her picture taken for her 'compilation,' then walk out like nothing happened. It was funny at first, but now it was practically just routine for both parties involved.

While it was a shame their careers as idols had come to an end so soon, Wendy, among others, was looking forward to making the switch out of her life in the fast lane and dedicating that time and energy into raising another human being; a human being she and Irene had made together. Although, while she stood by what she had said before, she couldn't help but miss Irene. The whole situation had turned into a complete mess; Irene telling her she loves her under the assumption that they would never see each other again, sleeping together, Wendy jumping onto a _moving train_ for her, Irene and Joy's kiss, Joy manipulating her imprint to experience love for herself, it was all just a wad of yarn that needed to be untied. However, the best, healthiest way to go about doing that was to take a step back and let Irene focus on the pups first and foremost. With any luck, once the dust had settled, Irene would be ready to walk right back into her waiting arms.

Wendy paused what she was doing and chuckled, sensing a familiar presence looming over her left shoulder. "Hi, mommy," She greeted sweetly, craning her neck to press a chaste kiss to Irene’s cheek. "Hungry?" While she didn’t receive a verbal response, she felt the older nod against her shoulder making her smile. She took a piece of her steak between her fingers, urging Irene to open her mouth to which Irene happily obliged, waiting for the savory food to rest against her tongue before closing her mouth to chew. Wendy beamed, gently rubbing Irene’s middle. 

The omega had been getting more and more clingy lately - particularly with Wendy and Yeri, though she had been known to cling onto all of them when she wasn't feeling too grumpy. Being the caring and gentle woman she was, Wendy loved spoiling Irene with plenty of treats, massages, and belly rubs. At first, the real version of Irene detested all of the extra attention she was receiving, but after coming to the realization that her energy and mobility were quickly depleting, she dropped her weapons and allowed herself to be well cared for. Thanks to Wendy, she was becoming less of a woman and more of a human puppy.

Wendy gave Irene one of her signature cuddle cookies - a move that immediately caught passerby Joy's attention. "Ya! Don’t feed my baby all of that sugar!" She quickly moved the little tub of cookies out of Irene’s reach at which the latter whined pathetically. 

"What’s wrong with spoiling her every now and then?" Wendy said with a smile, gently guiding another cookie into Irene’s eager mouth. 

"Every now and then is one thing, but you’ve been baking things for her almost every day now! Don’t you think you’re going a bit overboard?" While gently rubbing Irene’s straining belly in slow, soothing circles, the blonde looked at Joy in the same way a disappointed mother looks at an unruly child. 

"I don’t see much of a problem with it," She stated. "Now's the time where the kiddos will be packing on baby fat. Hyunnie needs to be a little pacman for the next few weeks, especially now that they'll be coming in premature. The more she eats now, the better it'll be for all of them."

"She should be munching on _healthy_ foods! Not cookies!"

"But look at how happy she is!" Wendy opened her arms in a cheerful 'ta da!' fashion.

Joy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Look, what you're doing is really sweet, unnie, but she can't sustain four bodies running off of sugar alone. She needs more meat and vegetables." The older duo exchanged glances and hung their heads a little in acknowledgement.

"Fine." Wendy breathed in defeat, surrendering the box of cookies over to Joy. The prime watched with mourning eyes as Joy placed them on top of the fridge for the time being where she knew no one else could reach them. Seeing the sad look on the eldest's face, the young alpha flashed her a tight-lipped smile. She kissed her hand and patted the top of Irene's head with it. 

"I'm not trying to be mean," She murmured. "I just want you to be healthy and strong when it comes time to push those kiddos out." Irene nodded in understanding, fiddling with her hands while Joy made her exit.

* * *

It had been several hours past dinner when Joy made one last journey across the house for the day having just spent the past hour and a half killing time with chatterbox Wendy. They always had good conversations with each other, but the older girl really knew how to ramble. After a while, Joy was feeling a bit burnt out and decided to politely call it a night. 

However, on her way out into the living room, Joy spotted something rather suspicious. The moment she set foot in the room, Irene had visibly tensed up and frozen in place in her seat on the couch. Already knowing what she was up to, Joy sighed and gave her head a little shake.

"Unnie..." She called in a stern tone, folding her arms across her chest. "What's that?"

A guilty-looking Irene glanced over the back of the couch, a spoon of mint chocolate chip ice cream hovering between the half empty tub and her lips. Knowing she had been caught red-handed, she pouted up at the younger woman. "I wanted ice cream..."

"Unnie, we talked about this. You should try to stick to a balanced diet," Joy said, taking the tub of ice cream away. "I get that you're pregnant and your cravings are hard to deny, but it's for your own good - and the pups'." She watched Joy walk away with her comfort food for the second time that day and let out a sad little sigh through her nose. Accepting yet another round of defeat, she pulled a nearby pillow into her lap and rested her chin on it as she continued watching whatever program was airing on TV. 

As Joy was about to dump the remaining portions of ice cream into the trash, Wendy's words rang in her ears. Irene was working hard to keep their pups safe, healthy, and warm until delivery. She was probably scared out of her skull not knowing what to expect as she had never had a baby before - let alone three. The least she deserved was a little treat as a reward for her efforts and to ease her burdened conscience. Joy's heart wasn't made of stone; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Maybe all of those years of strict dieting had stuck with her more than she thought. 

With a deep sigh, the tall raven scooped a little bit of the frozen mint chocolate goodness into a bowl before storing the rest of it away in the freezer, carrying the little scoops back into the room where her leader sat. Irene looked up with big, round bunny eyes when her view of the TV was blocked by Joy's body. The alpha held out the bowl of ice cream for her to take making Irene furrow her brows and tilt her head in confusion. 

"You can have sweets, unnie. Just try to keep your portions reasonable - about this size." Irene flashed her a tiny smile and nodded, carefully taking the chilled bowl from her dongsaeng's hands. While the smaller raven chowed down on the cold sweet she had been craving, Joy's brows furrowed with worry. "Are you feeling okay?"

Irene looked up at her, sucking her spoon clean before responding. "Yeah, why?" 

"I don't know..." The alpha murmured, turning her head as though she was trying to figure it out for herself. "Something about you just seems different today."

"Maybe it's my _radiant_ glow." Irene satirically sighed, flipping her hair like a pretty girl in a shampoo commercial. She and Joy both knew full well that she was sitting on the couch with her hair thrown up in a sloppy bun wearing a stained maternity hoodie with a bowl of ice cream resting on top of her bump to complete the classic 'fuck off, I'm pregnant' look. Joy chuckled, taking a seat beside Irene on the couch while the latter slouched and dove her spoon back into her ice cream. 

"You're pretty no matter how big you get." Joy cooed sweetly, leaning over to hug Irene's mountain of bump like it was a giant plushie she won at an arcade. 

"Ya!" Irene griped, pulling the giggling younger girl up and away by her hair.

As the duo settled back into comfortable silence, a baby cry reverberated through the speakers on the TV catching the undivided attention of both women. It was only a commercial for some new innovation in baby monitors, but the cry was apparently enough to tap into Irene's maternal instincts. Curious, Joy glanced over and chuckled at the way the woman's ears perked up to intercept the sound. However, her reaction didn't end at her pretty little face. 

Joy's eyes widened at the omega's chest and she blushed, gently tapping her arm to get her attention. "Um, unnie? I think you're leaking..." Irene looked down at her shirt and sure enough, there were two obvious wet spots forming on the front of it. She hung her head back and groaned in dismay, loathing the fact that she would have to get up and change after she had finally managed to get comfortable. "Interesting how that works." Joy chuckled, intrigued by Irene's body's natural response to a cry that didn't even belong to her own pups. 

"Well, at least it wasn't in public this time," Irene sighed, reaching out an arm for the younger to take. "Mind helping me up?" The alpha happily obliged, pulling the tubby woman's arms until she was safely hoisted to her feet. "Ugh, that's getting so much harder these days." The omega grumbled, pressing a hand to her aching back. 

"You're telling me." Her playful comment earned her a harsh slap to her arm, but her little grin and giggles never ceased. That is, until her focus was brought back to her unnie's current predicament. "Do you need to go pump?"

"Probably," Irene sighed, waddling off to her own room to get a clean shirt she could change into. "Be a dear and go grab it for me?"

"Sure thing." While Irene disappeared into her bedroom, Joy skipped over to the nursery, whistling a chipper tune. It took her a moment to recall where they had left the breast pump, but she found it and placed it beside the comfy blue rocking chair in the corner. Looking at the odd contraption, it reminded her of one of those machines farmers used to milk cows and the image that came to mind garnered a soft laugh.

A slow roll of distant thunder made her jump a little and turn her head to look out the window. What was once a bright, sunny fall day was quickly becoming cloudy and overcast. There was a cold front moving through and the barometric pressures were dropping as a result making Joy's SSD act up a bit. However, as her anxiety increased, she practiced the breathing methods she had been instructed to use to bring those levels back down again. While she worked on that, Irene waddled her way into the nursery with a fresh shirt draped over her arm. 

"You okay?"

"Yup, just breathing." Irene nodded, taking a seat in the rocking chair she would use to keep her own stress levels low while she nursed the pups once they were born. Taking that as her cue to leave, Joy gave Irene some privacy to handle her business. In the meantime, she plopped back down on the couch and changed the channel on the TV to check up on the weather.

* * *

Later that night, Seulgi all but stumbled through the front door feeling drained and exhausted. She had spent the better half of the night bussing tables and babysitting drunken dates that decided a quaint little cafe was the perfect place to bring their roudy conversations to. The unsolicited flirtatious comments and phone numbers on napkins weren't so appreciated in her place of work either. It also amazed her how sloppy some of their patrons could be - especially during the night shift just before closing. It's like they knew the cafe was trying to clean up so they made it a point to make even more of a mess than usual just to spite them. It took her an extra hour after closing just to clean up their spilled drinks, crumpled napkins, and paper straw sheathes. Imagine her dismay when she saw that one table left her a soggy tip inside of their glass of water. If Seulgi wanted to work at a bar or a daycare, she would've done so.

While Irene was building a physical nest for their offspring, Seulgi was building a financial one. She started picking up extra shifts to help pay off the coming hospital bill, but it was stretching her out far too thin. She was hardly ever home, and when she was, she was usually sleeping. Meals had become more of a solo endeavor as well. It was easier for her to just grab something quick on her way to and from work. Was it the healthiest option? No, but it was the cheapest and most efficient. She had managed to rack up quite a hefty haul in exchange for her energy, but that didn't make the repercussions any less brutal.

Her feet screamed for her to sit down so that's exactly what she did. Not even bothering to remove her shoes just yet, she fell face-first into the couch, landing with a tired groan.

"Rough day?" Seulgi turned her weary head to find Irene working on a puzzle at the kitchen table. 

"I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"I was trying to," Irene said, lifting herself up and out of her chair, waddling over to stand in the living room. "But a certain someone hasn't been very happy with you lately," The alpha pursed her lips apologetically, her monolid eyes moving down to stare at the woman's pregnant stomach. Irene quirked a skeptical brow, rubbing the subject of the younger woman's thoughtful gaze. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were avoiding us." 

Seulgi sighed, burying her face in a nearby pillow. "It's complicated." Irene's features softened. She slowly lowered herself into the chair beside the couch, turning ever so slightly so that she was able to maintain an engaged look about her.

"Talk to me. Tell me what's on your mind." Seulgi lifted her head, pushing her thick mane of hair away from her face. 

"I don't know. I guess I'm just..."

"Scared?"

"No!" Seulgi clipped back, turning her head so she wouldn't have to look Irene in the eye. She could never manage to tell her a convincing lie if she could just read the truths floating around behind her eyes. "I was going to say concerned." As contempt in her lie as she was, Seulgi failed to take into account the fact that the woman could probably smell fear. Of course, Irene didn't believe her sorry excuse for even a second, but she let it pass to spare the alpha's pride. 

"I understand that this isn't the lifestyle you'd prefer," Irene murmured softly, looking down at herself. "But it's the one we have to live with for now. I appreciate you working hard to keep us afloat, but you can't let it come in between your relationship with your son. I'm worried you'll miss your opportunity to bond with him and he'll resent you for it later." Seulgi's eyes disappeared off to some other world buried beneath the floorboards. Looking down on her actions, she had never seen things from that perspective before. She was allowing a hedge to grow between her and Rowoon that, if left unclipped, could potentially ruin their sire-son relationship before it even had a chance to blossom. The hedge would become so ingrained in their lives that it would spread out into a complex maze keeping them from reaching one another. Seulgi didn't want that, as terrified and distant as she was. At the end of the day, she loved that little boy with all she had in her. Lovers and friends had come and gone throughout her life, even Irene herself, but Rowoon would always be her one constant. No matter where he went or how their relationship decided to take form, he would always be her son and that was something that could never change. "You can't have kids anymore," Irene spoke in a tender voice. "Can you?" In a state of shock and surprise, Seulgi jerked her head up over the arm of the couch with an astonished look on her face.

"How did you know?"

"You were due for a rut three weeks ago," She stated matter-of-factly. "You haven't had one since May. That, and your scent isn't as strong as it used to be." At this point, Seulgi couldn't deny it. An alpha's rut came quarterly; once every three months. While Joy's cycle had continued as usual, Seulgi seemed to be unaffected for the most part. She had lost a lot of that fire in her belly she got when in the face of a challenge or felt disrespected by the maknae line. It seemed like she no longer cared to defend her position as the head of the household; a title she once carried with pride. She had, quite literally, lost her spunk.

Seulgi rested her chin on the pillow, hiding a good half of her face from Irene's line of sight. "I had a vasectomy."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because none of you are my mate," Seulgi stated bluntly. "I love Woonie because he's my kid and all, but he wasn't planned. I don't want to sire any more pups which is why _I_ _chose_ to get the procedure."

"And I respect that." Irene replied. 

"I guess it was also to get my parents off my back," Seulgi added thoughtfully. "As soon as I told them I got you pregnant, they got all excited and started asking if I was planning on mating you. That turned into nagging about when the next one was coming. I don't know about you, but I can't live with that kind of pressure."

Irene chuckled in agreement. "I hear you."

"But you're so good at domestic stuff," Seulgi said, rolling over onto her stomach to look at her partner in conversation. "You're gonna be such an awesome mom! All of you are! But me?" Seulgi sighed, laying back down on her side. "I feel like I'd do more harm than good." The pups' mother looked down at her lap sadly. She felt sorry for Seulgi. The girl always knew who she was and what she wanted out of life and a legacy just wasn't one of those things. It didn't mean she hated kids, she just didn't want any of her own - at least until Rowoon and his late twin brother came along. Irene had fully expected her to fly off the handle when she told her and throw out the idea of getting an abortion. However, she didn't, in spite of how afraid and internally distraught she was. Her calm, mature, and open-minded response was admirable to say the least.

"Don't sell yourself so short, Seulgi-ya," The omega murmured quietly. "You're one of the sweetest, most talented, and most thoughtful people I know. If you give yourself the chance to step into parenthood, I think you'll surprise yourself. After all, there's no better sire fit to raise our little cub than his own Mama." Seulgi chuckled, sitting up on the couch and looking over at her ex's distended midsection resting on her lap. However, something in her pup's scent seemed different and the observation made her frown with worry.

"Are you feeling okay?" Irene looked up at her, already knowing what she was referring to. 

"Yeah, why?"

"His scent seems a lot stronger. It isn't mixed so much with yours anymore." The omega cracked a smile, returning her attention back down to the sizable ball protruding from her front. 

"That's just his way of telling you he'll see you soon."

Seulgi quietly stared at her belly in thought. "Can I feel him?" Though she was a bit surprised by Seulgi's sudden interest after going nearly nine months without so much as laying a hand on her, Irene nodded with a warm and welcoming smile. With a few sore winces, Seulgi got up and cautiously walked over to crouch down in front of her. She held her hand up as if trying to go for it, but she got nervous and looked to Irene for help with the sweetest look of confusion on her face. "Is there a right or wrong way to do this?" Irene giggled, gently taking the girl by the wrist and resting her hand against her lower left. The bear's charming eyes widened in wonder as if she had just opened a treasure chest laden with gold doubloons. Her hand remained awkwardly stationary as she didn't want to do anything that could somehow upset the mother of her pup or make her feel uncomfortable. "Ya know, this would be really weird if you weren't pregnant."

"Probably." Irene laughed, letting Seulgi feel around for a moment. 

"... Does it hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"Your tummy," Seulgi said. "When it grows, does it hurt? I've always wondered that."

"Eh, sometimes," The omega answered. "It itches more than anything, though. Since the skin is stretching." Seulgi's mouth opened in an 'oh' of understanding that was further emphasized with a nod. 

"Your body's really cool. Mine just..." Her face went red, too shy to carry the statement any further. "Well, you know." Irene chuckled and nodded, reaching down to gently prod at her stomach where baby Rowoon was most likely sleeping. He had developed quite a knack for that.

"Are you not gonna say hello, Mr. Grumpy Bear?" Irene laughed, waiting to feel a reaction. Unlike his sisters, Rowoon didn't move too often. On every ultrasound they had collected over the past nine months, he had been asleep through all of them. He was a lot like his Mama in that way; sleeping anywhere, anytime. However, once he picked up on the presence of his Mama's hand and scent, he woke up. The look on Seulgi's face when she felt her only child move for the first time was one for the photo books. It was a hybrid of fear, tears, and amazement all painted together on her adorable bear-like face in the funniest expression Irene had ever seen her wear.

"It's like Alien!" Seulgi joked, feeling her cub's little nudges against her palm. The image her thoughts provoked made Irene grimace, but it was soon replaced by the scene of cheerful Seulgi rubbing tiny circles over that particular portion of her belly. "Hey, cubby boy," She paused and looked up at Irene with an awkward grin. "It feels so weird, talking to him."

"I don't think he's ever heard your voice so close before." The realization made the alpha's lip quiver ever so slightly. She had let her fears rob Rowoon of hearing her talk to him. It seemed like he had been waiting patiently for his Mama to talk to him like his sisters' sires did, but she was never around to do so. He had shown his complaints through a few angry kicks when he was up as he couldn't sense his sire at all; not even her scent to let him know that she was near. However, now that Seulgi was there and he could feel the slight warmth radiating off of his Mama's hand, he was a happy camper. Seulgi looked up in surprise at a soft hiss, Irene arching her back off of the chair ever so slightly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Irene breathed as her muscles clenched painfully. "Just some false contractions."

"Maybe you should go lay down for a while," Seulgi suggested in a voice laced with concern. "C'mon, I'll help you up." When Irene was on her feet once again, a sudden clap of thunder made her shriek and cling onto the material of Seulgi's shirt, hiding her face in her chest. "This brings back some memories." Seulgi chuckled, gently rubbing Irene's upper arms as a form of comfort. 

"Sorry." Irene whispered meekly, pulling away from Seulgi's embrace and rubbing her eyes. 

"Ya know, I'm sure Seungwannie would be happy to be your cuddle buddy if you're too scared to sleep in your nest tonight." Irene nodded her head in agreement. The bear woman flashed her a sweet smile, patting her shoulder gently before reaching down to finally kick off her shoes. "I think I'm gonna clean up and call it a night," She stated. "See you sometime tomorrow?"

"Yup. I'll be here." The duo shared a light chuckle, Seulgi bidding her goodnight before disappearing into her room. As for Irene, she made her way towards Wendy's chambers. She worried about waking her if she was sleeping, but her fear of thunder was much stronger. 

She softly knocked on the door, regretting it once she realized the lights were off. She made a move to walk away when Wendy's raspy sleeping voice called after her. "Hyunnie?" Irene popped her head back in to apologize for disturbing her.

"Sorry, go back to sleep."

"No no no, I'm up, I'm up," Wendy insisted, slowly making an effort to sit up while rubbing her tired eyes with a yawn. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"The thunder..."

"Say no more." Wendy rolled to the far side of the bed to make it easier for Irene to come join her, patting the vacant space in invitation. Irene thanked her shyly and crawled under the covers with the friendly beta. Just like that, she already felt more at ease. Wanting to feel a bit closer to the person she had feelings for, she snuggled up closer to Wendy.

"Hold me, Wannie." She cooed cutely as she wriggled towards her, trying to butter Wendy up and doing so quite effectively. The blonde chuckled, placing an arm over Irene's side. Though she knew she probably shouldn't, Wendy couldn't resist the urge to kiss Irene's forehead. A few thoughts swam through her mind and fell onto her tongue.

"Unnie?"

"Yeah?"

"If you really do still love me, do you... see us having a future together?" Wendy inquired. "After the pups are born?" The question certainly caught Irene off guard, especially since she expected Wendy's brain to still be half asleep. She supposed that her brain must have been as sharp as a tack in all hours. 

"I have an answer, but it's a bit too detailed. I don't want it to scare you off." 

"You could never." Irene quirked her lips in thought, but figured she should speak her dreams into reality.

"One day, I want to settle down with you," Irene murmured, feeling a warm hand glide over her very pregnant belly. "I can carry another litter, only this time with you as the only sire. We can move to Canada and live in a little house with a big backyard and plenty of room for the kids to play. The others could come visit us on holidays and we can eat together like we used to." The quaint description of the life Irene wanted to share with her made the beta smile. 

"I think this pregnancy has changed you," Wendy giggled. "You've never talked about settling down before."

"Because I've never seen a reason to." Irene replied, playing with the ends of Wendy's hair. "I'm about to become a mother. It's only natural I start thinking about their futures too." Wendy nodded in agreement. Pretty soon the four of them would become parents and Yeri would have two new nieces and a nephew to chase after. "Seungwan-ah..."

"Hm?" Wendy opened her eyes, tucking a few unruly strands of hair behind Irene's protruding left ear. 

"After the pups are born, and everything settles down again," She began, timidly avoiding Wendy's eyes. "Would you want to, maybe... be my mate?" The beta's heart skipped a beat and a half. There was a hopeful chime in Irene's voice that let her know this wasn't just some twisted joke. She subtly pinched herself to make sure she wasn't still dreaming.

"Really?" She breathed in disbelief. "You want _me_ to be your mate?" While she couldn't see it in the dark, she could feel Irene nodding in reply. The beta couldn't help but chuckle with glee, a few happy tears gathering in her eyes. "Of course!" She cried quietly, pulling the older woman in for a kiss. Although she promised not to distract Irene with her feelings for her until the dust had settled, the situation called for such intimate displays of affection. Irene had basically chosen her as the one person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and that was certainly something worth celebrating. While Wendy was just short of becoming a blubbering mess, Irene blinked a few of her own happy tears away. For once, her heart hadn't been stepped on and instead the person she loved had picked it up and bandaged it, placing it back in her chest with a parting kiss to make it all feel better. "I love you." Those three simple words made Irene drop her walls of iron completely, sobbing into Wendy's chest.

For a while, after their fit of tears had ended, the happy couple just laid in one another's company; Irene occasionally jumping and squealing at particularly loud sounds coming from the clouds outside. However, unlike her first night all alone in the house, she had her Wendy there to hold and whisper words of comfort into her ear. 

"Do you mind if I sing for them?" Irene lifted her head up from the pillow and shot her a fake side-eyed glare that ended in a teasing smile.

"Of course."

While Wendy softly sang a familiar tune under her breath, rubbing the side of her belly, Irene's eyelids began to grow heavy. As the woman who was once the main vocalist of Red Velvet, and one of SM's best to boot, it was no secret that Wendy was an incredible singer. However, something about the raw, unfiltered sound of her vocal chords rubbing together to make such lovely melodies made it sound all the more beautiful to Irene.

When her song reached its end, Wendy couldn't help but notice the subtle changes happening in her partner's body. Worried, she decided to check up on her well-being. "Your heartbeat's really slow. Are you feeling okay?" Irene nodded and let out a little sigh of contempt, listening to the soothing sound of the rain tapping the roof above their heads. With the love of her life telling her she loves her and the pups fast asleep in her womb, she couldn't have asked for a better night.

"Just enjoying the moment while it lasts." 


	34. XXXIV

From the moment Irene woke up the following morning, she knew.

She opened her eyes, hoping to tell Wendy what was going on, only to find that her side of the bed was cold and empty. Though she was sad to wake up alone, she noticed a yellow Post It note through her fuzzy morning vision. Propping herself up on her arm, she reached over to grab the note and rolled over onto her back to read it.

_Sooyoungie and I are running some errands._

_Let us know if you need anything when you wake up :)_

_Love you!_

Irene smiled and stuck the note to her forehead, lying in blissful silence for a moment. She stared up at Wendy's ceiling fan, watching it diligently stir the muggy air caused by the perspiration outside. While the outdoors looked a bit gloomy and gross that particular day, the feeling made Irene calm. She watched the nearly naked coniferous trees in the side yard sway in the wind and sighed. Something about today felt ominous and foreboding, but beautiful all the same.

Slowly but surely, she wriggled her way out of bed only to double over once she was on her feet. The babies' weight bearing down between her legs was a lot more prominent than before. The pressure from Sooyun's tiny body pushing her hips out ever so slightly hurt like nothing had ever hurt before. It wasn't a sharp pain, rather, it was a relentless ache that wouldn't cease until all three babies were pushed out into the life of freedom waiting for them outside. Her back and stomach had also joined the fray; sore as Irene's muscles had begun to tighten and contract to ready themselves for a long night of coming labor - something Irene was not quite aware of at the time.

With a few soft sounds of discomfort, Irene waddled her way out into the common area of the home with a hand supporting her poor, crying back. The only lights in the house that were on were the ones in the kitchen that acted as a homing beacon for Irene. After Joy and Wendy had left to restock the fridge and go on a little shopping spree, and with Seulgi at work through most of the day, Yeri was the only other member left in the house. At the time of Irene's entry, she was busy slathering mayonnaise onto a yogurt, turkey, and cheese sandwich - yet another odd food that could have easily been added to the long menu the maknae already had in her arsenal. Having seen Yeri's creation, glad she was long since out of her morning sickness faze, Irene reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a Tupperware holding the leftovers from two nights before.

"Morning." Yeri greeted through a mouth full of her sandwich.

"Fancy seeing _you_ up so early." Irene chuckled, pouring herself a tall glass of water. The maknae's brows furrowed, having noticed something blatantly abnormal attached to her unnie's pretty face. Realizing what it was, she laughed and pulled her fellow beta's sticky note off of Irene's forehead.

"You two are so whipped for each other - I hate it." Irene blushed and snatched the note away from a cackling Yeri, sticking it right back onto her forehead before carrying her lunch over to the table. "Need some help?"

"I've got it." Not a moment later, she realized she spoke too soon. A pained hiss and the sound of Irene's food practically being slammed onto the table made Yeri jump. She rushed to Irene's side while the latter used the edge of the table for support.

"Unnie? What's wrong? Should I call Dr. Song?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Irene groaned while breathing through the contractions. "Just a few Braxton Hicks."

Yeri looked her up and down with worry, making sure nothing was noticeably off. "Are you sure? That sounded a bit too strong to be fake."

"I think I'm gonna go lay down for a while." Yeri quietly watched the older woman hobble away, though she didn't move in the direction of a bed. Instead, Irene went straight to the nursery to satisfy her sudden urge to curl up in her nest.

Throughout the duration of the day, Irene's symptoms only got worse. Her contractions were about twenty minutes apart, lasting thirty seconds each, and the feeling of Sooyun's head pressed against her cervix was quickly becoming annoying. Irene was no idiot. She knew she was in early labor, but she wasn't anywhere near far enough along to make the trip to the hospital. Several long months ago, Wendy had told her that her contractions would need to be five minutes apart unless she wanted to wallow around in an unfamiliar hospital bed in an unfamiliar hospital room and stress herself out even more. Instead, she used the comfort that came from her nest to help herself feel better and cope with the pain while riding her labor out a little while longer.

A soft knock at the door caught her ear mid-contraction. "Unnie?" The voice of Yeri called meekly, clearly worried about her condition. She poked her head in; a glass of milk and a few cookies placed neatly on a plate, taking notice of the way Irene's eyes screwed shut while her abdominal and back muscles constricted. She quietly padded over, taking a seat on the floor a safe enough distance away from the omega's nest while placing the comfort snack she made for her off to the side for the time being. "Are you feeling okay?" Not wanting to further concern the maknae, Irene nodded. Once her most recent contraction met its end, Irene released a sigh of relief; practically melting limply into her nest. "Y-you're in labor," Yeri stuttered, trying her best to stay calm and composed, swallowing the lump of fear building in her throat. "Right?" As she was too preoccupied taking in oxygen, Irene gave another simple nod.

The clouds that had accumulated outside started to grow darker and flicker with sparks of lightening. Due to the slow setting of the sun coupled with the impending storm brewing over their heads, the natural light in the room started to go dark. Yeri had noticed this, looking to Irene with a question.

"Do you want me to turn a light on?"

"Yes," She said quietly. "Just please, keep the brightness down." The maknae got up and flicked on the light switch, using the dial beside it to keep the intensity low. Figuring Irene would need to keep hydrated - her glass of milk not being enough to do the trick - Yeri quickly jogged back to the kitchen to prepare a water bottle and a heating pad for her.

It was taking a lot for her to choke back her frightened tears. She had seen her real mom in labor before with her younger siblings, but this felt completely different. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she had seen more of Irene than she did her own mother through the most formative years of her life. Irene had been the equivalent of a second mother or a cool older sister to her; someone she had always looked up to. And while there was an eight-year age gap between them, sometimes it felt like much less. They would always tease each other and goof off like little kids, but seeing Irene going through such a major metamorphosis day by day right in front of her eyes, knowing that all of it was leading up to this point and that things would never truly be the same, it frightened her.

She reached for her phone and found Wendy's contact, holding the devise up to her ear. While the tall water bottle was slowly filling up, the ringing tone seemed to repeat without end; Yeri's composure breaking a little with each one. Her call was never answered. Instead, it went straight to voicemail thus amplifying Yeri's internal frustration. Of all days they decided to go out on a shopping spree and silence their phones, they would pick today. Putting on a brave face, Yeri picked herself up and carried the items she prepared back to laboring Irene's lair.

"Here."

"Thanks." Irene breathed, taking a long drink from the bottle and placing the heated pad over the place in the most pain - that being her lower back. Not knowing what more she could do for her, Yeri passed her a cookie and watched her nibble on it in silence.

"I tried calling Wendy, but I think she has her phone on silent."

"Have you tried-" She couldn't finish her thought as another, smaller contraction racked her body. "-Sooyoung?" Yeri reached for her phone and dug up Joy's contact, proceeding to follow the same protocol she did with Wendy only for it to go straight to voicemail as well.

"She's not answering." Irene gave a little sigh of frustration, but again, not wanting to give Yeri any more reason to worry, she turned the situation into a light-hearted joke.

"Those two are something else," She managed to chuckle. "They can knock me up, but they can't be bothered to at least keep their phone on vibrate." Her trick had somewhat worked; putting a little smile on the maknae's face. She rested a comforting hand on Yeri's knee, giving it a gentle rub. The younger girl looked up in confusion. "Thanks for sticking with me," She croaked in a hoarse tone. "I know it's scary, not really knowing what to do. I'm just glad I'm not alone." There was a double meaning behind her words that tugged an even sweeter smile onto the teary-eyed maknae's lips.

They stayed like that all through the evening; Irene wincing and moaning as her contractions grew in frequency and intensity with Yeri there comforting her while trying to reach two of the pups' clueless sires. By now, Irene was slowly but surely slipping away into Irene 2.0 as her body readied itself for the active stages of labor. Everything was progressing so fast! She knew that omegas, and especially primes, tended to experience faster labors, but she never expected this.

Just after one of her brutal contractions ended, Irene's face went as white as a sheet. An uncomfortable, wet trickle of warm liquid made her question if she had just peed herself. She thought for a moment and quickly realized what had really just happened. She looked at Yeri with wide eyes, panting in astonishment and fear. "I think my water just broke."

A pale and petrified expression washed over the maknae's features. "Oh god," The sudden urgency of the situation had caught her completely off guard. In a panic, she tried to think of what steps she should take next while simultaneously trying to keep both herself and a clearly distressed Irene calm. "Okay! Okay! Um, just hold on! Don't move!" While Yeri stepped out to call an ambulance (she didn't have her driver's license and taking a laboring omega to the hospital on the bus was deemed less that appropriate) Irene started timing her contractions as best she could.

In the meantime, an internal war was breaking out inside her head. On one hand, she knew it had always been her plan to give birth in the safety of a hospital - especially with the runt being as frail as she was - while on the other, the omega living inside of her told her to settle in and prepare to deliver the triplets in the comfort of her own nest the way nature intended. By the time Yeri got back to get her ready to be intercepted by the ambulance, the latter side was winning.

"Come on, unnie," She reached for her arm in an attempt to help her up but was shocked to have the hand nearly bitten by the perplexed omega curled up in the sanctity of her comfort space. There was a wild look in her eye that sent chills down Yeri's spine. Wendy had told them that if Irene should go into labor when she and her knowledge weren't around, no matter what they did, they shouldn't let Irene get too comfortable in her nest. Unfortunately for Irene 2.0, nature's way was not an option as far as Yeri was concerned. "Unnie! Get up! I know it hurts, but you can't give birth here! Seungwannie's baby could die! _You_ could die!" The omega began to sob relentlessly; both from the pain of childbirth and the possibility of such tragedy if she couldn't summon the strength to get out of her nest against the will of her own nature. It was a battle of body and mind; one she wouldn't be able to win on her own.

Seeing the very possible danger of the situation, Yeri mustered up the courage to reach in and force Irene into making the right decision. Despite how painful and shocking the older woman's resistant scratches and bites were, she managed to slowly pull Irene out of the nest and got her to her feet, looping her arm over her shoulders for support and to help keep her up. Gravity did Irene no favors. She wailed and whined in agony; the weight of her young being pulled down harder against her aching hips and cervix. The overwhelming urge to push washed over her and, of course, she listened.

Yeri had apparently noticed her efforts and gasped. "What are you doing!? Don't push!"

"I want them out!" Irene growled back in frustration.

"If you push now, you'll _seriously_ hurt yourself! We have to get you to a hospital!"

As Yeri escorted her towards the front door, red and blue lights flashing in through the blinds on the living room windows, the omega hissed at the painful contraction gripping her body. "Ow ow ow ow ow." She muttered under her breath, allowing herself to be guided out the door and helped down the path towards the ambulance parked at the curb by a pair of nurses. As they helped her up into the gurney, Irene had lost sight of the maknae. In a state of panic, Irene desperately called out for her. "Yerim-ah!?"

"Right here, unnie!" Yeri answered, taking one of the driver's hands and stepping up into the ambulance beside Irene. As soon as she sat down, she took Irene's cold and trembling hand in her own. Once they were sure that everyone had settled in, the drivers closed the doors and ran back around to the front.

Irene was practically doused in sweat, groaning through her contractions while the nurses worked to get her IV drip hooked up. "Fuck! Fuck! Those idiots are dead to me!" The maknae couldn't help but chuckle a little, making up for it by wiping some of the raven's sweat away with a cold, wet towel.

"Your contractions are clocking in at about four minutes apart, a minute and a half in duration," The male nurse shouted over the sounds of the sirens and rumble of the wheels against the asphalt. "We're gonna patch you straight through to a delivery room as soon as we arrive, okay? Just keep breathing, you're doing great!" While Irene closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and did her best to keep her breathing steady, Yeri's phone buzzed in her pocket.

* * *

Taking a break from their shopping soiree, Wendy and Joy decided to stop for an early dinner in the mall food court. As they were about to resume on a hunt for more cute things for the babies, Wendy fished into her back pocket for her phone and her eyes nearly boggled out of their sockets.

"What's up?" Joy inquired, swaying along to whatever song was playing through the speakers overhead while taking another sip of her drink. The beta showed the taller girl her phone screen, running her thumb over the surface of it so she could see how many dropped calls she had accumulated over the past three hours. Joy's eyes widened as well, but she said nothing.

"These are all from Yerim-ah. Gimme a second, let me call her back."

"Kay!" Joy chirped, merrily sipping on her beverage through a colorful straw, still bobbing in place and looking around the mall absent-mindedly while Wendy called in to check up on things.

"Hello? Yerim-ah? Is everything...?" The alpha quirked a curious brow, having heard the loud ramblings coming through the other end of the line. "Wait! Slow down, what's going on?" Wendy's features shifted in a sequence of emotions; from confusion, then to shock, all the way up to alarm. "We're on our way!" Not even wasting a second to hang up the phone, Wendy grabbed Joy by the hand and all but dragged her towards the escalators, dodging other shoppers along the way and apologizing profusely. Once they were making their slow descent towards the bottom floor, a rather bewildered Joy flashed the tiny beta a quizzical look.

"Umm-?"

"Unnie's in labor!" Joy's heart stopped beating for a moment, her mind going in a thousand different directions yet nowhere all at once. Her precious drink slipped from her hand and spilled all over the place; the cold liquid seeping through the cracks between the stairs into the mechanics of the machine making the entire escalator stop. Wendy shot her a disapproving glare, but didn't have the time to scold her. Instead, she grabbed the younger girl by the wrist again and they ran down the escalator, ignoring the angry shouts of a nearby mall staff worker. Joy gave him an apologetic wave over her shoulder, nearly stumbling over her own two feet as they made a mad dash for the exit.

* * *

Meanwhile, Irene was being wheeled down the hallway with Yeri jogging along beside her, struggling to keep up. When the passage became too narrow, she slowed her pace to follow close behind. However, she couldn't bear to hear the loud shouts and sobs of her leader echoing down the hallway any longer and instead stopped to recollect herself for a moment, reaching into her pocket to call Wendy for an update. This time, the girl answered right away.

"Unnie, please hurry!" Yeri wailed into the phone, her eyes and nose both running like faucets.

"We're coming as fast as we can," Wendy spoke, craning her neck to look through the front windshield at the traffic accumulated in front of the bus. "Just try to stay calm and help unnie get into her head space."

"Get her into outer space!?"

"No! Head space!" A few fellow commuters loudly shushed her, receiving an even more intense glare from Joy.

"Oh, shut up! Our friend's in labor! _So-rry_ for disrupting your peace and quiet, you bunch of-!" Wendy quickly grabbed Joy's shirt sleeve to keep her from finishing that statement.

"She's about to give birth, so she's going to rely on instinct over anything else," Wendy explained at a more considerate volume. "Did they say how many centimeters dilated she is?"

"Not yet," Yeri throatily croaked through her tears. "But her c-contractions are f-f-four m-m-minutes apart."

"Oh wow," Wendy breathed, not expecting things to have escalated so far so quickly. "Okay, well, go make sure she's set up, alright? And let her know we'll be there as soon as we can - call Seulgi, too!"

"But she's at work!" Yeri sniffled.

"Yerim-ah, Joohyun unnie's in labor. I think they can make an exception."

* * *

Soft jazz music played softly through the speakers in the ceiling, the quiet murmurs of a few late-night customers serving as nothing more than peaceful background noise. While Seulgi was busy wiping down tables, her phone vibrated in her back pocket. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, she spared a quick peek at the caller ID. When she saw it was Yeri, she gave a little sigh, but answered the call anyway; resuming her table wiping to at least still be somewhat productive.

She whispered quietly into the microphone, "Yerim-ah? I can't talk right now! I'll call you later!" The maknae seemed to be in distress, but Seulgi couldn't quite make out the multitude of words spilling into her ear at a thousand miles a minute. "W-wait! Slow down! I can't understand you!"

The hand holding the rag meant to clean the tabletops paused its circular movements as Yeri's words seeped into her slow little brain one by one. No way this was happening, not tonight!

"Are you sure!?"

"Yes! Just hurry! Everyone's on their way to the hospital right now!"

Sensing the maknae was about to hang up, Seulgi dropped the rag and fumbled for her note pad and a pen. "Wait! Which one!?"

As she sloppily scribbled down the address for Bundang Hospital, her manager shot her a few daggers as he passed. "Kang, no phones on the clock." He warned her.

"But sir, this is important!"

"And I'm sure it can wait! I need you bussing tables two and five." The man turned to walk away, but Seulgi was determined. She followed close behind him, pleading with him to let her get off of work just a few hours early.

"Please! My partner's in labor!" Her predicament raised the heads of a few nosy customers and coworkers.

Noticing the numerous eyes staring at him, judging him, the manager nervously fixed his tie. "You're making a scene! Just get back to work, I need all hands on deck here!" Seulgi let the man turn his back on her and continue walking, but she wasn't about to roll over and surrender her worthy cause. The manager turned back around, watching her march towards the door with her hands fumbling with the apron strings tied neatly behind her back.

"If you walk out of here, Kang, consider yourself fired!" Without missing a beat, Seulgi finished untying her apron and tossed it to one of her nearby coworkers, running out of the cafe as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran down the sidewalk, receiving a few odd glances from people walking by under the protection of umbrellas, but in that moment, she didn't care. Despite the fear boiling in her gut and the rain shower soaking her down to the bone, she was needed elsewhere so elsewhere she would be.

* * *

"You're already seven centimeters dilated. These babies are coming _tonight_." Doctor Song stated, placing his instruments back onto the sterilization table beside him. With a roll of thunder off in the distance combined with intolerable pain and the stressors in the room, Irene was hanging on the verge of a mental break down. Seeing the perplexed state of her leader, Yeri held her hand and tried to ease her conscience.

"Just relax."

"But the others aren't here yet!" Irene exclaimed, eyes swimming with more fear and emotion than Yeri had ever seen in them.

"All of them are on their way. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Nine centimeters! Get ready to start pushing!" Those words and the image of the doctor getting into position to intercept the pups were the hands that shoved Irene over the edge into sheer panic. She looked to the maknae with tears in her eyes, frightened beyond her own comprehension, trembling like a maraca in a bad snowstorm. While she was more than thankful for Yeri's presence at her side, she wanted the others' as well. She had two hands; one holding Yeri's in a vice grip while its twin was left lonely, holding on to the metal bed railing for dear life to the point where her knuckles began to turn white. Without an epidural for some relief, she would be in for a long and painful night. She began to question her body's capabilities and second-guessed her way into desperate avoidance.

"Yerim-ah, I don't think I can do this-!"

"Yes, you can!" She said, clasping the woman's hand in both of her own. "I'll hold your hand the entire time!"

Dr. Song looked at the monitor, waiting for the next contraction to arrive so that Irene could start pushing. "Alright, Miss Bae, on your mark. Whenever you feel the urge to push-" An intense contraction made the monitor spike; Irene crying out as she gave her first real attempt at pushing. She could feel _everything_. The first baby slowly making her way down into her channel, her own body spasming uncontrollably, her hands clenching tighter around Yeri's hand and the railing; though somehow, a small part of her felt relieved to have finally been at the climax of it all.

"Good, good, that's it! Easy, now. Remember to pace yourself." The doctor said, studying what the laboring woman was feeling by the expression on her face and the changes in her breathing. "You covered a lot of ground just now! The first pup is sitting nice and low. You just keep breathing. Your body knows what to do. Don't push again until you have to." Irene laid back against the pillows and panted for a while; Yeri reaching over to wipe the accumulation of sweat from her forehead.

"You're doing great, unnie."

* * *

Joy and Wendy were the first to arrive, shoes squeaking loudly as they took off at a dead sprint down the hallway; their clothes and hair soaked due to the heavy rain pouring down outside. When they reached the right room, they came to a screeching halt, immediately trying to negotiate with the nurse guarding the door.

Wendy panted, doubling over to catch her breath while Joy looked like she was about to throw up from the stress and intense exercise. "We're here for Bae Joohyun!"

"I'm sorry, but she's already deep into active labor. I can't let any visitors inside at this time."

"But we're the pups' sires!" Wendy whined on the verge of tears, her eyes widening in dismay at the loud sounds coming through the other side of the door. "Surely we should be allowed in! This is the birth of our _children_!"

"Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to please wait out here until she is through with the delivery."

"What are you!? A fucking robot!?" Wendy grabbed a raging Joy's arm to keep her at bay, guiding her over to have a seat in one of the chairs across the hall from the delivery room. The alpha shot her a confused glance, surprised she didn't put up more of a fight or back her up. "... unnie?" Wendy said nothing. She just stared blankly at a streak of white light reflecting off of the shiny floor tiles in front of her.

It was an awful; sitting there for twenty long minutes, listening to Irene's seemingly endless shouts and groans of pain, knowing they couldn't give her any form of moral support. At least Yeri was in there with her. If they only hadn't silenced their cell phones, they could have been there as well to witness the birth of their daughters. Instead, they were left waiting on the sidelines; sitting in tense silence while trying to block out the heart-wrenching echoes of their leader's tortuous misery. Unable to stomach much more of this, Wendy bent forward to hide her face in her hands. Witnessing her friend's emotional state first-hand, Joy reached over to rub her back soothingly while stuttering through her own that came out in the form of a reddened face and warm tears.

Moments later, the door to the delivery room suddenly burst open, startling them both. Their immediate reflex was to jump to their feet, but it proved to be somewhat in vain. Before they could process what was going on for themselves, the nurses hurriedly wheeled Irene off to some other room further down the hall.

Wendy spotted Yeri coming out, quickly pulling her aside and begging for some sort of an explanation. "Yerim-ah, what's going on!?"

"Emergency C-section," Yeri explained, tenderly cradling her freshly bruised hand. "The runt isn't dropping and she's too tired to push." As she moved to walk away, Wendy quickly reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Wait! What about the others!?" The maknae flashed them a little smile and nodded her head towards the room Irene had just come out of before finally walking off down the hallway. As she moved to catch up, Wendy rested a hand on Joy's shoulder to keep her from following after them.

"Go see them and make sure they're doing okay. If Seulgi shows up, keep her calm and tell her what's going on. I'm gonna follow unnie." Joy clearly looked conflicted but nodded; staying put and watching the other two run off in pursuit of Irene.

* * *

When they arrived, Irene was already being prepped for the surgery. Upon noticing their entry, a friendly nurse quickly and quietly escorted them to stand behind the blue tarp draping down to rest over Irene's chest put there to block their view of the gory scene that was happening on the other side. When Irene saw the two, specifically Wendy, she smiled wearily and reached her hand out to greet her.

"Hey!" The beta whispered while choking back a few relieved sobs, kissing the woman's sweaty forehead. "How are you doing? You okay?" Irene nodded, just happy to see another familiar face after all of the wonderfully dreadful events of the day. Now that she was finally through pushing, she could feel the signs of her body's fatigue setting in.

"Sooyoungie's pup really took it out of her," Yeri chuckled quietly. "Her head is _huge_!" The omega shot her a little glare; not appreciating the comment about her baby's melon. "What!? You should know! You gave birth to it!"

Irene managed a laugh in spite of herself, rasping out a few choice words of acknowledgment. "She does have a pretty big head."

Yeri snorted under her breath, muttering out a cheeky remark. "She gets it from Sooyoungie."

"Alright, Miss Bae, we're gonna try to push her down into the incision, okay?" A nurse said in a comforting voice, watching what was taking place on the other side of the tarp. Curious, Yeri made a move to peek her head around as well.

Wendy knew what she was thinking and figured she should give her a fair warning. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Yeri replied with a mocking face and a roll of the eyes, going against the older's advice and taking a look anyway. Her defiance was met with instant regret. When she jerked herself back to the safe side of the divider, her face was about as green as a seasick sailor. She quickly reached for a nearby trashcan and threw up, the image of her unnie's insides permanently engraved in her mind. "I told you!" Wendy harshly whispered.

However, a few surprised grunts from Irene brought her back into the moment. The doctors began to shove the baby down into the opening they had made in Irene's stomach. As protective Wendy was about to ask the nurse why they were doing it so roughly, Irene softly cooed for her attention. Voluntarily taking the bait, the beta flashed her a warm smile, kissing her forehead with all of the adoration she had in her.

"I love you," She murmured while intertwining their fingers. "Hang in there. We're going to meet her soon." Irene closed her eyes and smiled, Wendy leaning down to rest her forehead against that of her paramour weakened by childbirth. Every little gasp or furrow of her eyebrows was felt by Wendy as well. She whispered sweet nothings into her ears, even trying out the technique Seulgi had taught her that always seemed to make Irene swoon. 

Suddenly, the room fell into complete silence. The air felt dreadfully still - like one could hear a pin drop on the other side of the hospital wing. Wendy looked up in alarm as nurses scrambled around, pulling over one of the plastic bins they usually placed newborns in that had been mounted on top of a rolling cart. She caught a glimpse of her tiny baby, but no cries had come to announce her arrival. Their little one never got her chance to lay on her mother's warm chest. Instead, she was gently placed on the cart, wrapped in a blanket, and rolled out of the room before anyone could get a word in.

Still a bit out of it and somewhat under the influence of her omegan mindset, Irene looked around forlornly. "Where's my baby?"

The nurse flashed them a small, sympathetic smile; understanding the worried looks of confusion on the new parents' faces. "They'll have to run her down to NICU," She said while the remaining doctors worked to stitch Irene back up again. "She's alive, but she's having some trouble breathing. The sire is free to go down and see her, if you'd like. In the meantime, I'll take you back to your room to rest once they're through cleaning you up." Wendy looked down into her lover's eyes, unsure if she should stay with her or make sure their baby was well cared for.

Yeri could see her internal tug-of-war and decided to pipe up. "Go. I'll hold down the fort." However, Wendy's conscience was still burdened. Irene looked up at her and gave her a weak little smile of encouragement, blessing the back of her hand with a parting smooch.

The blonde chuckled, planting another chaste kiss on the woman's rosy and sweat-soaked cheek. "I'll see you later. I'm so, so proud of you, my love." Irene's heart soared at such praises from the woman she hoped to someday call her mate. Though a piece of her hated to do it, she allowed Wendy's hand to slowly slip free from her own so that she could go check up on their baby.

Once she was well out of Irene's line of sight, Wendy's features turned from calm to desperate. Her hasty speed-walk morphed into a jog that quickly became a full-on sprint. She feared for their daughter's life. If they lost her before either of them even got to hold her or give her a name, Wendy wasn't sure how they would recover. Irene said she wanted more pups with her in the future, but what if they lost their first child together? It would leave not only an internal scar, but a physical one as well. That crescent-shaped mark on her belly would serve as a constant reminder and it would stay with her forever.

While her mind should have been riddled with thoughts of what horrors could be awaiting her when she got there, all Wendy cared about was seeing her little pumpkin safe and sound. In all of her days, she never thought she would come to a point where she would _want_ to hear her baby cry, but if it meant she was able to breathe, it was a rather justified prayer to say the least.

Right now, all she could do was hope for a little luck to be on her side.

Just this once.


	35. XXXV

No matter how hard we may try to change our fate or those of our loved ones, our destinies are set in stone. It may change on its own accord due to the choices we make or the walls we break through, but every road must meet its end some way or another. Some roads are long and twisted, others are short and stop at a dead end. We must all say goodbye; some of us much sooner than others.

Today, fate had decided to make it only a day of hellos.

Wendy's heart was saved that day. Chance had heard her prayers and showed mercy just this once, sparing the life of her newborn daughter. There she was; her little pumpkin, the little light of her life, curled up safe and sound in the warmth of an incubator. She had yet to open her eyes or make so much as a peep, but she appeared to be breathing just fine thanks to the tubes under her little button nose. The first thing that stood out to Wendy about her little girl was her unusual hair color. While both her brother and sister had inherited their parents' jet black hair, hers was entirely white. It was off-putting, seeing as how her eyebrows were the darker color her genetic code wanted it to be. Wendy had immediately suspected albinism, but the doctors had told her it was simply due to a melanin deficiency in her blood. The baby could have come out completely bald, for all she cared. Her health and safety was all that mattered in the end.

Wendy reached her hand through the designated door in the incubator, touching her child for the very first time. Her skin was so warm and soft. It felt _alive_. A few happy tears slid down past quivering lips. For so long, she had worried about her baby; long before she ever even knew she was hers. She cared so much about each and every one of the pups because they were the children of the woman - and people - she loved. Of course, she did have quite the special soft spot for her pumpkin, though; her precious little runt.

It appeared she recognized her sire's hand. She wasn't quite sure how to convey her excitement, so she did the best she could and opened her tiny mouth the way she had learned in the womb. For a moment, Wendy's world went tranquilly quiet; no more worries of what could be haunting her heart and skull. While Wendy stood by her incubator and continued running her thumb gently over her fragile little arm, the baby began to fall asleep. She looked so... peaceful. It reminded her of Irene in that way.

She failed to notice Joy walking up beside her, smiling at the exchange between pup and sire. "She looks like unnie." The alpha murmured quietly. Wendy nodded in agreement. What she said was true; she was the spitting image of her Eomma, in exception for her head of snowy white hair, and Wendy was thankful for it. It just made her love her that much more.

"How are they doing?"

"Fine," Joy replied, still looking at Wendy's sleeping baby. "She's feeding Rowoon-ah so he won't be fussy when Seulgi unnie arrives. I felt too awkward watching her so I thought I'd come down here and check up on how things were going with you two." The short beta flashed her a thankful smile and nodded.

"Any word from her?"

"She texted me a while ago. Said she was making a pit-stop to pick something up for Rowoon."

Wendy gave the statement an airy chuckle. "Sounds about right. Always so easily side-tracked." 

"Eh, I don't know," The taller shrugged. "She _is_ running from all the way across town."

Wendy turned to look at her, eyes boggled in surprise. "Wait, she's _running_ here?" Joy nodded. "Why didn't she just take the bus!? Or call a cab!?"

A soft, light-hearted laugh chimed through the room. "Who knows the ways of Kang Seulgi? You and I both know how dense she can be. My guess is she wasn't thinking about the _means_ of getting here, she just knew she had to _get_ here. It's a shame she didn't make it in time, though." Wendy felt the same way. Seulgi had run all the way from the other side of Seoul in the pouring rain just to be there for the birth of her child only to miss it by such a long shot. "Hey, you still haven't met them, right?" Joy said with a smile. "C'mon! Let me show you my baby!" Wendy laughed as she was dragged out of the NICU by her shirt sleeve, a proud new sire leading the way.

When they reached the hospital's fourth floor, as they were about to enter Irene's hospital room, the sound of loud footsteps pounding up a nearby stairwell made Joy jump. The door burst open and a familiar figure came charging through, nearly smacking straight into the cinder block wall across the hallway due to inertia. 

"I'm here!" Seulgi wheezed, her hair drenched in a blend of rain and her own sweat. "Where is she!? Is she okay!? How are the pups!?"

"Easy there, don't hurt yourself!" Wendy chuckled, making light of the situation to calm her friend down. "Everyone's fine. Our little runt gave us a bit of a scare, but she's doing well now. I think unnie's still in there nursing." Seulgi nodded, hands held on her hips while she tried to gulp down some air. There was a bouquet of red roses in her hand that tilted while she reached into her drenched work shirt and pulled out a little brown teddy bear that, despite her efforts, just couldn't be protected from the rain shower. She glanced at the door to Irene and their litter's hospital room, clearly nervous to go inside. While Wendy waited to usher her in, Joy went ahead; giving Irene a few sweet words of greeting. The beta warmly reached out her hand in invitation. Seulgi's eyes never left the white floor tiles underneath her feet as she moved to stand in the doorway, too shy to look up and see inside.

Fear is such a strong chain to cut.

Seulgi suddenly gripped the doorframe, her feet standing frozen in place. She wanted to see her son; the boy she ran across Seoul in the dead of night for, risked a cold for, matured for. The past nine months for her had been leading up to such a critical moment in her life and she was right there, brushing it with the ends of her fingertips. If only she had the courage to lift her head. From over her shoulder, Wendy shot her a concerned glance.

"I can't go in there." Seulgi breathed at a whisper while walking a tightrope suspended over a panic attack. 

"Yes you can." 

"No. No I can't." She replied sternly, a sheen of cold sweat gathering on her neck and forehead. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed her pride, finally admitting her feelings to herself. "I'm scared."

"Just breathe." Wendy's hand gently rubbed her back as she took in a few deep breaths. She thought of the man her son had been named after; what he would tell her to do if he was alive and with her then. First, he would probably crack a few jokes, poking fun at how much of a wuss she was being. After that would come compassion. He would tell her what it truly meant to be an alpha. It wasn't power, pride, or valor, but the bravery to take responsibility and speak up on behalf of those too afraid to do so. If she wanted to lead by a good example for Rowoon Jr, it would all have to begin with a single step in the right direction on her part. But only she had the power to take that first step despite the ball and chain weighing her down.

The shrill sound of a baby crying caught Seulgi's ear. With her grand uncle's philosophies in mind, she finally lifted her head and saw Irene holding one of the newborns in her arms, shushing them while gently patting its little back. Wendy smiled, watching quietly from the sidelines as Seulgi saw her only son for the first time. Her eyes glistened in wonder. Irene's pale features were brightened by the early morning sun shining in through the window behind her making her look like some sort of heavenly angel. The little cocoon of blue blankets in her arms continued to cry, but her motherly smile never wavered. Instead, she murmured calmly to the child and continued hushing him until his raspy sobs faded to soft whimpers.

"Well?" Wendy whispered softly. "Go say hello."

The world seemed to move in slow motion as Seulgi lifted the cinder blocks attached to her legs and walked over to Irene's bedside. The closer she got, the faster her heart raced and the more she began to feel the anxiety eating away at her chest. What if he didn't like her? What if they had nothing in common? Worse yet, what if one day he decided he only wanted his Eomma in his life? Irene had little Rowoon resting in her arms, adjusting his blue pacifier when she noticed Seulgi's presence. It was far too late for her to even think of backing out now; she was in too deep. The alpha could do nothing but stare at the little bundle of eternal joy she had played a part in creating and shame herself for everything she had ever thought or done that could wrong him.

Irene looked up at her with tired but loving eyes. "Do you want to hold him?" It took her a moment to register what she was asking, but Seulgi eventually nodded, holding out her trembling arms to receive her son. "Watch his head." Irene warned softly, patiently teaching Seulgi how to hold him properly. The baby gurgled and squirmed in his blanket, opening his eyes to squint up at his Mama while his pacifier bobbed in his mouth. His features weren't pronounced enough for them to tell which of his parents he took more after just yet, but even a blind man could see that baby Rowoon was a Kang through and through.

"Hey, little cub." She choked out, carefully fixing his little hat while the boy gazed up at her with wide and curious eyes. No one besides the doctor and his Eomma had ever held him before, but he could recognize his sire's familiar scent and voice.

"He has your eyes." Irene murmured softly while watching the exchange. 

"But he has your nose!" Seulgi chuckled, looking down at the baby in wonder. "I can't believe he just came out of you!"

"I can." Irene said with a snort and a joking eye roll that was soon followed by a sweet smile. 

Wendy took her turn to walk in, waving at Sooyun on her way to greet her lover and best friend as well as their new baby. She wrapped her arm around her and pressed a kiss to the crown of Irene's head then sat on the edge of the bed, joining her in watching Seulgi interact with her son. Rowoon opened his mouth, letting his pacifier fall out and dangle from the string keeping it attached to his blanket. A look of panic washed over Seulgi's features as his face scrunched up unhappily, a few grunts of building sobs getting caught in his little lungs. 

"He wants his arms out." Heeding his mother's words of wisdom, Seulgi tucked the blanket down just enough for his hands to be free. His face immediately returned to its natural form then lifted into a happy newborn smile. He giggled and flailed his arms as if he was trying to impress his Mama; an action that received a teary-eyed laugh from Seulgi. She held her finger out and watched his own tiny fingers wrap around it. However, her finger was quickly brought up to the boy's mouth and was lost to a warm, slobbery feeling. "He's definitely a nibbler," Irene chuckled. "That'll be a fun habit to break when he starts teething." Seulgi flashed her a little tight-lipped smile in response, rocking the pup in her arms. She suddenly recalled the gifts she had taken a brief detour to purchase.

"Sooyoung-ah?"

Joy lifted her head away from gazing down at Sooyun who had been lying in her temporary crib. "Yeah?"

"Would you mind...?" Her nodded towards the bouquet and teddy bear she had accidentally dropped on the floor during her existential crisis. 

"I got it!" Wendy got up and walked towards the door, picking up the items that were left there and walking them back over to the bed. 

Seulgi blushed in embarrassment, seeing the state of the bouquet being handed over to Irene. "Sorry they look a little roughed up..." The omega flashed her a sweet smile.

"They're lovely." Seulgi's monolid eyes then drifted over to the wet, scruffy teddy bear sitting on the plain white sheets with its head flopped over like that of a confused puppy.

"I bought the bear for him, but it might need a little TLC beforehand." A pair of elegant, pale hands gently picked up the damp bear. Irene looked at it with a smile, petting its soggy head. Seeing Irene now in her weary state, after she had gone through such lengths to give their children life, Seulgi pursed her lips to stifle her guilty sobs. "I'm sorry," She sniffled while hanging her head to avoid the omega's look of confusion and concern. "For not being more of a help to you - for not being here. I ran as fast as I could..."

"It's okay," Irene softly assured her. "You're here now and that's what matters. Besides," Her head turned, flashing the maknae seated in the chair by the door a thankful smile. "Yerim-ah got me through it just fine." Yeri returned the friendly gesture. As if on cue, the sounds of Sooyun's little cries broke the peace. 

"I didn't do anything!" Joy insisted, stepping away from the child with her hands held up in surrender.

Her actions were soothed by a soft laugh. "Calm down, she's just hungry." Irene held her hands out expectantly. Taking the cue, Joy picked up her young daughter and carried her over to her mother. She placed the crying child carefully into the woman's arms and took a few steps away from the bed. She unfastened the buttons on the front of her robe open just enough to tuck the baby inside while maintaining some sense of modesty. "I can tell you're going to be a fussy eater." Irene chuckled, playing with her eldest daughter's tiny foot.

"How'd you know that's what she wanted?" Yeri inquired curiously from across the room.

"Mother's intuition," Wendy replied with a fond smile, watching her soon-to-be-mate feed her baby. "I read about it in one of my books. A mother can tell the difference between her pup's cries."

"I can see where all of my cravings went," Irene joked, squeezing her daughter's chubby leg before moving on to let Sooyun hold her finger while she ate. "You're a chunky monkey, aren't you?" 

"Are you sure she isn't Seulgi unnie's?" Yeri laughed. "She eats a lot." The prime alpha shot her a challenging glare that received nothing more than an unbothered eye roll. 

"She's Sooyoungie's," Irene cooed with a sure tone in her voice. A tiny hand remainedwrapped around her finger while she continued to look down at the little girl nestled in the front of her hospital gown. "She has her nose and lips."

"And head." Yeri chuckled softly to herself under her breath. 

"She's a pretty little thing," The friendly nurse washing her hands at the nearby sink chimed in. "The nurses have been calling her Angel Face."

"That's my girl!" Joy said with a dramatically proud grin that received a few humored eye rolls and sighs from her members.

"She's a little on the heavier side, but she'll grow into it. Your little boy is in great shape as well," The nurse said while drying her hands. "As for your runt, we'll need to keep a close eye on her over the next few days. She's still too small to be cleared, but you should definitely go down for her first feeding whenever you're feeling well enough. It's not uncommon for beta-omega pups to be on the smaller side, so please don't worry yourself too much. You should focus on your recovery and start establishing regular sleep and feeding schedules."

By now, Irene had gone several hours without having seen or fed her little maknae and the longer she waited, the more sore and anxious she became. She knew her pup had to be hungry and that knowledge was weighing heavily on her conscience. However, she tried to keep her nerves at bay while Sooyun was attached to her breast as her emotions could potentially impact the quality of her milk.

Irene craned her neck to look up at Wendy. "How was she?"

The latter just smiled and ran her fingers through Irene's hair. "She's perfect."


	36. XXXVI

Irene was enjoying her view through the large window beside her bed; gazing out at the bright, sunny afternoon bathing Seoul's skyline in feel-good energy. It would have been even more beautiful in the spring time with the lush, green shrubbery decorating the landscape, but the autumn leaves were just as lovely in their own way. Today marked the fifteenth of September and, according to the nurse, that made the pups a gaggle of bouncing baby virgos. The pups had two different birthdays; Sooyun and Rowoon had arrived around 11:20 and 11:45 respectively on the thirteenth while their little sister wasn't born until nearly one o'clock in the morning on the fourteenth. She supposed September would be the season for birthday parties moving forward. 

The sound of the door clicking closed caught her attention and made her turn her head. Careful not to wake the snoozing pups, the snoring mama bear sitting with their things on the bench underneath the window - sniffling from a freshly caught cold, or the maknae line passed out in the chairs beside the door, Wendy walked in and flashed her a sweet smile.

"Ready to go?" 

As Irene hesitantly moved to get out of bed for the first time since she had been loaded up in the ambulance, her entire body seemed to object to the idea. When she stood with both of her bare feet on the floor, she winced and nearly doubled over. "Oh shhh- _ow_ that smarts!" She hissed under her breath, not knowing whether she should worry more about the stitched up gash on her stomach or the dull ache in her back. 

"You okay?" 

"Yeah," The omega breathed. "Just a sec..."

"Don't push yourself, Miss Bae," A nurse sweetly, and somewhat patronizingly, said. "You're recovering from a major abdominal surgery. If you need to take some time to-"

"I'm okay." That seemed to shut the nurse right up. After going well over twenty four hours with little to no sleep thanks to nurses coming in to check on her condition and two newborns crying spontaneously, Irene was in no mood to negotiate. She just wanted to meet her third baby, feed her, and come back to rest for a while until the rest of her brood would be ready for their turns.

For someone who hated being the center of attention, it was hard to cope with the fact that the composition of the room always revolved around her. It was bad enough when she was pregnant, but now that the pups were born, it tacked on three more people giving her or in need of her attention. She didn't see it as a burden, though. If anything, it would have to be something she learned to deal with until her pups were grown - or perhaps even longer after that. 

When she felt well enough to walk, she reached out to Wendy for some guidance to which the beta quickly obliged. Slowly but surely, Wendy escorted her out into the hallway and towards the elevators. While they waited for a ride down to the NICU, Wendy looked down and noticed their arms were linked together in almost the same fashion they were whenever Wendy decided to be greasy and act like a gentleman for Irene. The realization of it took Wendy back to the early days of Irene's pregnancy and the night they first felt their baby kick after talking under the front porch light, putting a reminiscent smile on her face. She added this instance into the new hall of fame she was secretly creating in her memory. Feeling Wendy's eyes on her, Irene spared her a glance and giggled, wincing a little at the pain her chortle inflicted upon her stomach. 

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're pretty." Wendy replied in a funny-sounding nasal voice that made Irene cover her laugh with her free hand. If she had the strength to stand on her own, there was no doubt in Wendy's mind that she would've gotten a harsh smack to the arm for it, but it was worth the sting if it made Irene smile.

The elevator chimed once it reached their floor and the metal doors slid open to allow them entry. Wendy stood with one foot on and one foot off to trigger the sensor so that Irene could take all the time she needed without worrying about the doors closing on her. On their way down to the lowest floor of the hospital, they stood together in comfortable silence. Irene spared a shy glance through a curtain of raven locks at the beta beside her, feeling that same old feeling in her chest she got whenever she thought of Wendy. Noticing a warm body snuggling a little closer into her left side, Wendy blushed and looked at Irene out of the corner of her eye. She seemed intent on staring straight ahead, though there was an unmistakable hint of a smile on her face. 

The couple made their way down the hallway Wendy and Joy were standing in earlier that morning, passing by a giant mural of a stork plastered to the wall adjacent to the observation glass. The blonde used their key card to open the door and gestured for Irene to walk through first.

"After you, m'lady." Irene giggled at her lover's antics, looking around the private room before her eyes landed on the little incubator set up on the other side of the cozy space. Heart rate monitors and other sensors beeped, though Irene quickly tuned them out. Wendy let her hand slip free, watching her slowly approach her baby's temporary home - the slippers on her feet scuffing across the floor with every step.

With her hands pressed to her chest and stomach, she leaned over slightly to get a better view of her sleeping daughter. She was tiny; hardly even the size of her forearm. The little clear tube resting under her nose hissed slightly with every breath as air was pushed up into her daughter's delicate airways. Irene's eyes went watery with emotion; that same feeling of love she had felt the first time she saw Sooyun and Rowoon welling up again. 

"I'd hate to wake her." She sighed as Wendy moved to stand beside her. Irene took notice of her baby's snow white hair, gently reaching in through the window and softly running her hand over her little head. Worried she would think something was wrong with the pup, Wendy was quick to over explain.

"I-it's natural! She's just lacking some melanin in her blood, that's all! It's-"

"Hyunhui."

Confused by her one-worded response, Wendy cocked her head slightly to the side. "Huh?" 

"The name I've been thinking about," Irene stated for clarification. "Hyunhui." She spared the other woman a glance over her shoulder, though she never took her hand away from their daughter's head. "Do you like it?"

Wendy smiled. "I love it," She walked over to stand behind Irene, rubbing her upper arms with her hands and chuckled. "Hear that? I guess you've graduated up from pumpkin, little one." Irene face morphed into an adorable pout.

"Awe, but I like it when you call her pumpkin!"

"You do?"

"Yeah! I think it's cute!" Wendy chuckled, allowing Irene to rest her head against her collar bone. 

"She'll always be my pumpkin, I think Hyunhui sounds much prettier." 

"I'll let you alternate." Irene said with a playful smile, planting a kiss on her cheek before returning her attention back to her newborn. She wanted to hold her, but she really would hate to disrupt her peaceful slumber to do so. However, her body also needed Hyunhui just as much as Hyunhui's body needed her. After going several hours without nursing a pup, Irene was beginning to feel the pressure building in her chest. The maknae's portion had been left untouched since her birth and Irene's body was becoming confused. Her breasts were designed to make just the right amount of milk for each of her children, but with only two of them eating regularly, Hyunhui would need to be fed soon. Otherwise, Irene's body would assume there was a casualty and only lactate enough to keep the two older pups satisfied.

She was thankful for still feeling full even after Sooyun and Rowoon were through eating since the runt was the most vulnerable pup in the litter. They were usually the smallest and had been known to starve to death back in the days where baby formula didn't exist. Thankfully they had bought some ahead of time just in case, but Irene was set on breast feeding the pups if she could help it as it was better for their immune systems and also helped Irene's body melt off the extra pounds she had accumulated during her pregnancy. Instead, they planned on alternating which pup would eat the artificial blend per feeding so that Irene could nurse two of them while someone else fed the outlier. That way, they would all eat around the same time and take away some of the misalignment between them.

The sounds of a little stomach growling caught their ears. Hyunhui's face contorted unhappily, appearing to be teetering on the verge of crying. Taking that as her cue, Irene opened the lid of the incubator and gingerly took their runt into her arms - careful not to accidentally unhook the little oxygen pump taped to her back. The cold air of the room outside of her warm incubator caressing her skin was an odd and scary feeling for the poor pup. Because of this, bonded with the foreign sensation of hunger, Hyunhui began to cry.

"Oh, I know," Irene cooed as if she was agreeing with her youngest daughter's complaints. "You've had a rough few hours, haven't you, love?" The pup continued to hiccup and cry as Irene unfastened the front of her gown - a move she had become very efficient with thanks to the amount of practice she had been getting. It took the newborn a moment to figure out how to latch properly, but once she did, her frightened little noises faded into nothing more than croons of contempt. Irene looked down at her baby and smiled, releasing a little sigh of relief through her nose while rocking the chair back and forth to keep her own heart rate down. 

"Feel better?" Wendy inquired, walking over to stand behind the rocking chair. 

"Mhm," Irene hummed softly, fixing her gown so that her pup's sire could get a better view of her. "I think we're both feeling much better now." Looking at the clear tube wrapped underneath her daughter's nose, Wendy quietly quirked her lips in thought.

"Do you think she'll be on oxygen forever?" The prime made a noise of uncertainty, bobbing her head side to side in consideration.

"I suppose it's possible. I guess that all depends on whether or not her lungs will be strong enough to work on their own," Irene craned her neck to gaze up at her lover. "Why? Does the sound bother you?"

"No, no!" Wendy assured her. "Just thinking, I guess." While Hyunhui's medical needs didn't bother her in the slightest, it did make her more concerned for her future. She didn't want her little girl to come home crying one day because the kids at school didn't understand her situation and had decided that the only logical thing to do was tease her about it. Wendy was a relatively peaceful negotiator, however, Bae Joohyun was not. Sure, Wendy would certainly stick up for her child if an injustice presented itself, and while Irene had been given the name meaning 'Goddess of Peace,' she would not hesitate to throw a grenade and single-handedly start World War III if someone she loved was hurting. Wendy could just see it now; Irene storming into the principal's office seething with rage while she would have to trail along behind her and try to calm her down. It was a good cop, bad cop dynamic that would somehow complement one another perfectly. 

When Hyunhui was through, Irene reached for a nearby cloth and propped the child up to peek over her shoulder, gently patting her little back with her hand. Big, beautiful bunny eyes gazed up at Wendy, though her vision was still too blurry to make out her sire's face in detail. However, she did recognize her scent and voice. 

"Hi, pumpkin," She chirped softly with a smile, taking in the tiny pixie of a girl's dainty features and playfully tapping her little nose with her finger. "You really do look just like your Eomma." A bubble that came out in the form of a mini burp was finally patted out of the infant's tummy meaning her first meal had officially reached its conclusion. However, Irene wasn't ready to part ways with her just yet. She kept her resting against the warmth radiating off of her chest, redeeming a few minutes of skin-on-skin bonding they had missed at the time of her birth. This way, Hyunhui's temperature-sensitive skin wouldn't be left so exposed to the cold air in the room but she would also get to spend some quality time with her parents as well.

"I hate that she has to stay down here on her own," Irene said with a sad frown, wiping a droplet of milk away from their baby's chin. "What if she's lonely?" It was a rather heart wrenching situation. While the rest of her new family got to mingle upstairs, little Hyunhui was left all alone in the NICU with just a few nurses paying her a visit only to check her vitals and be on their way. Days of brief visitations just to feed her and put her right back in her incubator broke Irene's heart and Wendy's right along with it. But for now, it's what was best for her health. 

"Can I hold her?" Irene nodded, pulled Hyunhui out of her warm clothes, and swaddled her in a nearby blanket - mindful of her oxygen tube. She carefully handed her over to Wendy, watching warily for a moment as her partner adjusted the position of her arms to better accommodate her daughter's fragile body.

They were both finding that baby Hui wasn't very expressive. For the most part, she remained quiet; soaking up whatever was going on inside of her little world that had been limited to the space within the four walls surrounding her incubator. More often than not, she was asleep as her body was dedicating more energy towards growing and catching up with her older siblings. She still had yet to meet them. Since Sooyun and Rowoon were always together from the start, they quickly learned to get along and share the crib. However, Hyunhui would be introduced to them much later. Irene just hoped everything would go smoothly. Someday, she would like to see them playing nicely together. 

After a while of Wendy holding the baby, Irene stood to intercept her so they could kiss her goodbye until the evening. As the new mother walked away to stand beside the incubator, Wendy remembered something her parents had mentioned before. "By the way, my parents were hoping they could see you and the pups when they come visit for Christmas," Wendy said, wrapping her arms around Irene's waist in a back-hug while she rocked the baby in her arms. "I was hoping that maybe... if you still want to, of course... we could talk to them about, you know... becoming mated?" Irene nodded with a cheerful smile and sank back against Wendy's front with a sigh, soaking up her citrus tree fragrance.

"I'm glad I've already met your parents," Irene chuckled. "It makes the whole 'meeting the in-laws' ordeal so much easier." The sound of Irene's soft voice referring to her beloved parents as her in-laws made Wendy's heart flutter. While being in a mated pair wasn't quite equivalent to a marriage, she did want to put a nice, pretty ring on Irene's finger someday when they were ready.

"They love whoever I love, and right now, that's you and Hyunhui-ya." She leaned in to plant a kiss on Irene's cheek only to be stopped by a finger to her lips.

"'Right now?'" Irene pouted crossly with a twinge of jealousy in her eyes.

"Well, when we decide to have more pups, there'll be more people to love, right?" Irene's heart softened at the sweet sentiment. She nuzzled into Wendy further, the couple both closing their eyes to embrace their little moment as a forming family. Irene suddenly shuttered at the feeling of her partner softly blowing on her ear the way Seulgi used to when they were dating. She brought a hand up to cover her ear and giggled. "Let me guess; Seulgi-ya gave you her tips and tricks?"

"Just a few," Wendy chuckled. "But I'm curious; why do you react so much to that?"

"I don't know," The omega replied with a light blush dusting her cheeks and reddening her ears, resting her head back against Wendy's chest. "It just feels nice..." The beta grinned cheekily.

"Feeling shy now, are we?"

Irene smiled and felt her blush intensifying, hiding her face in Wendy's shoulder so she couldn't see. "No..." Came a cute and muffled reply that made Wendy chuckle.

"I think I like this side of you, unnie," Wendy teased. "It's cute." Irene finally turned her head so that her smiling face was no longer hidden by Wendy's simple black tee shirt. Her eyes flickered from Wendy's lips up to her eyes and the latter's did the same. Seeing no reason why not, Wendy ducked her head and initiated their first real kiss in what felt like a very long time. Irene hummed, her lips quirking up into a sleazy smile. She was drunk off of the feelings she got with Wendy all over again.

"I missed you." She crooned sweetly.

Wendy replied just the same. "I missed you too." She planted a little kiss on Irene's forehead and joined her in looking down at their sleeping child. "You did such a great job with her," She whispered quietly. "She's perfect."

"I couldn't have made her unless you gave her to me." Irene quipped back, shooting her a sly and suggestive look that made her lover chuckle.

"Well, guess I can't argue with that logic." 

Hyunhui's parents bid their farewells, quietly placing their precious pup back into the warm safety of her incubator before walking out hand-in-hand to make sure the maknae line hadn't burned the hospital down yet.

* * *

On her way back into her room, something strange caught Irene's eye. She reached for Yeri's hand and took it in her own, gasping at a gnarly purple bruise covering the back of it. "What happened!? Did I do that?"

"Yeah, but it's okay," Yeri assured her, inspecting her own hand for herself. "It kinda looks like a whale if you turn it around. See?"

"You should have _told me_ if I was hurting you!" 

"Unnie, a broken hand is nothing!" Yeri chuckled. "You just pushed two baby humans out of your vagina without an epidural! Then you got your stomach cut opened right afterward! I mean, that's some metal stuff right there! Do I even have to mention Sooyun-ah's alien head!?"

"Her head is _not_ that _big_!!" Joy shouted making one of the babies grunt from the loud disturbance. 

"Oh yeah!? Run that by Hyunnie's poor vagina! She had to get _six_ stitches! And I'm not talking about the ones in her stomach!" Joy gasped in apallment, offended by such a statement.

"It's because she's a genius!" She defended on behalf of her daughter. "A pretty _baby_ genius!"

"How is that possible when her sire's brain is made of cork and ego issues!?" The mighty gasp that came from Joy's mouth could have sucked the room in on itself. Their playful banter bloated into a squabble with Joy trying to defend her clueless baby while Yeri cackled cheekily at her explosive reactions. 

"I'm sorry, I guess the hospital was mistaken," The room fell quiet, everyone turning their heads to look at a smirking Irene. "They miscounted. I have _five_ children now."

"Unnie! Tell her our baby's head is _beautiful_!" Joy choked through a sob, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

"It is," The omega walked over to pick Sooyun up. The infant was gnawing on her hand in blissful ignorance. When she saw her Eomma approaching, she let out little puffs of air through a happy smile; kicking her little legs with glee, excited that her mother was going to hold her. Irene cradled the baby in her arms, letting her play with her index finger while she spoke. "All of our pups are beautiful, and Sooy's head really isn't that big." 

"Thank you!" Joy groaned in exasperation, plopping down in a nearby chair. 

"Well I mean, any child of yours is destined to be beautiful, unnie." Yeri made a gagging face at Wendy's remark; an action that received an elbow jab straight to the ribs from Joy. 

"Their faces are lovely, but I was talking about a different type of beauty."

"It's the _beauty_ that _comes from within_." Yeri drawled sarcastically, making a sparkling gesture with her hands. Seulgi snorted from across the room, but covered her bear smile with her hand after seeing Irene's reaction.

A shapely brow quirked up. "Wanna keep that other hand?" Irene said, nodding towards the one that wasn't bruised. Yeri's hands quickly cowered behind her back at the empty threat. 

"So how was your visit with the little nugget?" Sniffling Seulgi inquired while munching on a bag of trail mix. "Did you think of a name yet?"

"Hyunhui," Irene replied with a smile; one Wendy copied and pasted onto her own features. "Son Hyunhui." 

"Cute!" Joy replied in a raspy tone, getting back on her feet. "So roll call time; Park Sooyun, Kang Rowoon, Son Hyunhui, and Kim Yerim." Yeri glared at the finger pointing at her.

"Ha ha, I see we have a comedian now." Joy used her prowess in acting to mock Yeri's whiney voice, taking a few blows to the arms and ribs, laughing maniacally. Their former leader just watched with a smile and a shake of the head, leaning against the woman she could consider her fiance. She treasured the chaotic exchange in all of its rowdiness, simply because she loved her family too much to cut any one moment short. The only way it could be any better was if baby Hyunhui was there to also lay witness to the shenanigans she would be subjected to for the rest of her life. However, she would be with them soon enough once she was strong enough. Now, it was only onward and up from there. Irene couldn't wait to share and collect more moments with them - this time with three new additions joining the ranks.

And, for the first time in her life, Irene knew what it felt like to be a part of a family - one she herself had played the biggest role in creating - and for that, she couldn't be more grateful. 


	37. XXXVII

Three curious heads peered into one of the triplets' baby carriers with the fluorescent lights beaming down from above. They observed the snoozing runt of the litter, taking in her tiny features and dove-colored hair. They were surprised by how little she was. Wendy had given them a good size comparison after she first went down to see her, but even Joy wasn't quite aware of her miniature size. The young alpha's eyes squinted in thought.

"So let me get this straight; you want to talk about _my_ little girl's head when it looks like Wendy's hair dye somehow seeped into Hyunhui-ah's DNA?"

"Sooyoung-ah!" Wendy scolded crossly. 

"Yeah, let's not go there," Seulgi agreed. "Poking a little fun at a healthy pup is one thing, but we're lucky to even have her going home with us. Take a jab at WoonWoon and his endless hibernation if it'll make you feel better, but don't say a word about Hyunhui-ah."

"Sorry." Joy murmured, tucking her chin a little in shame. Meanwhile, Irene rummaged through their things in preparation to leave. While she tucked Sooyun's bunny into her designated backpack, she glanced over her right arm at her members curiously gazing at her youngest daughter from their place on the floor.

"She's so cute!" The seasoned maknae gawked with intrigue, noticing the way Hui's tiny body was hardly restrained by the harness of her carrier. Yeri reached out to gently pull them as tight as they would go, but they still weren't snug. "She barely fits in the straps!"

"Well, look at her parents," Wendy chuckled. "We're not exactly, how do you say... vertically inclined?"

Yeri's face adorned a look of worry as she turned her head to look at the baby's mother. "Is it safe? What if she gets hurt on the ride home?"

"She'll be fine," Irene assured her while shaking out Sooyun's blanket and folding it back into a neat square. "The straps are tight enough to keep her held. Besides, the pups will be facing the back anyway. If, god forbid, she did fly out, she would only hit the seat."

"We're going home, babies!" Joy cheered enthusiastically while shaking Sooyun's little fists in exaggerated celebration. The newborn giggled and kicked, entertained by her Mommy's excited facial expressions. Joy puffed up her cheeks and leaned over so Sooyun could squeal and pop the air out of them with her tiny baby hands. Wendy watched the adorable exchange from afar and chuckled. Her mate-to-be could not have found a better mother to raise a child with than Park Sooyoung. She had always been so good with kids and used to talk about wanting a few of her own someday and while little Sooyun may have been a happy accident, it was clear to see that she was going to be very well cared for - they all were. 

Wendy turned and smiled at Seulgi who, somewhere during the gap in conversation, had gotten up and retrieved her sleeping son from the crib. She was currently seated on the bench by the window, patting his little butt rhythmically to keep him soothed and asleep. When she looked up and caught Wendy's eyes on her, she flashed her a sweet smile and returned her attention back down to her cub's adorably squishy face. She was proud of Seulgi. Despite her initial fears of commitment and being a bad influence on her child, Seulgi had really come around. Whenever one of the pups would cry at night, Seulgi would be the first one up and out the door with the kid so that they wouldn't wake up the others. Once she had successfully lulled them back to sleep out in the hallway, she would sneak back in, put the little human safely back in their crib, then return to sleep herself all without waking a single soul in the room. Except for Wendy, of course. She saw how hard Seulgi was trying to get a good running start to spending the rest of her life with the quirky little additions to their family.

The pups were already starting to express their own individual personalities in their own individual ways; Sooyun was a violent kicker - something Irene was made very well aware of long before the birth. She just couldn't help herself. Whenever she got excited, happy, sad, mad, anything outside the range of her neutral emotion, her little legs would get quite a bit of momentum behind them. She _loved_ Joy, though - more specifically her face. The duo had a game where Joy would make a silly face and baby Sooyun would do her best to copy it the best she could. Granted, she wasn't very good at it, but there was some effort there and plenty of time for her to practice. Meanwhile, Rowoon had apparently inherited his Mama's sleeping prowess. He was hardly ever awake, and when he was, it was because he was eating or crying because he really needed something. Irene had presented the doctors and nurses with her concerns, but they had informed her that it was normal for some pups to be drowsier than others. Baby Rowoon just loved his naps. As for Hyunhui, it was easy to forget she was even in the room. She wasn't nearly as animated or expressive as her big brother and sister. Instead, she just peacefully observed whatever was going on around her with those big, brown peepers she got from her Eomma. 

"I expected her to come out wailing since she's Seungwannie's kid, but I'm surprised she's been so quiet." Joy stated while rubbing Sooyun's warm tummy with her hand.

"Maybe she's just shy like unnie." Yeri pondered, looking over at Irene who responded with an unknowing shrug.

"Could be that her lungs are still too weak for her to make much noise," Seulgi chimed in. "Maybe when they're a bit more developed she'll pipe up."

Having finished zipping up the last of their bags, Irene stood up straight and sighed while pushing some of the fly-away hairs that had slipped free from her pony tail away from her face. "I think we're all set. Ready to go?" 

"Yup." Wendy chirped, helping Yeri back to her feet and picking up the handle on Hyunhui's carrier with her free hand. The old maknae sighed.

"I miss my bed!" She whined dramatically, pretending to sob, but Joy was having none of it.

"How do you thing Joohyun unnie feels? She hasn't slept in her bed in three months!"

The omega decided to speak on her own behalf. "Actually, I'm fine."

Joy's face quirked into one of slight disgust and disbelief. "Really? You're fine after sleeping on the floor nine months pregnant?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I like my nest."

"Well, since you like it so much, why don't you let one of us-"

"I'm not giving you my room!" Irene laughed, already knowing exactly what Yeri was going to try suggesting again.

"Why not!?" Yeri whined like a child. "It's not like you're using it! It looks so sad!"

"I _will_ be using it." Irene spared Wendy a not-so-subtle side-eyed glance. After realizing her statement's implications, Wendy's cheeks lit up like a burning Christmas tree.

Taking note of the awkward exchange between the two, Joy chuckled. She was happy to see them interacting in such a way again. Of course, she wouldn't let on to such thoughts - even though they were written all over her face. "Gross." 

"Red Velvet! Assemble!" Yeri shouted from her place at the door, posing with two bags in her hands; one carrying Irene's breast pump and in the other, a few spare blankets and diapers. While the others helped strap the babies into their carriers, thinking no one would notice, Irene lifted her shirt and fiddled with her compression belt. However, despite her assumptions, Wendy had noticed her discomfort. She left Seulgi to finish with Rowoon's set up so she could go offer her lover some assistance.

"Need a hand?" Irene spun around and looked embarrassed, letting her flowy shirt drop to hide the material that was protecting her incision and keeping everything in place. The blonde couldn't help but frown at how ashamed Irene was of her new body, but figured now was not the time to address that. Instead, she softly urged her to turn around and lifted the back of her shirt, putting her own body between Irene's and the others' line of sight so no one else could see and possibly make her feel uncomfortable. "Let me know if it's too tight, okay?" Irene nodded and flinched a little in surprise as the binder constricted around her waist with each of Wendy's firm tugs. 

"That's good," She whispered and Wendy nodded, crossing the straps to keep the compression belt held in place. When she was given the okay, Irene slowly turned around, looking down at her hands that were busy fiddling with the hem of her long, gray, dress-like shirt. "Thanks."

"Any time." Wendy said with a smile, pressing a warm kiss to her bashful lover's forehead. 

"Hey," The couple quickly turned to glance at a grinning Seulgi. The bear turned her phone to show them the flashing icon on its screen. "Whenever you two are through flirting over there, our ride's here." 

* * *

"Here we are, home sweet home," Seulgi sighed, carefully managing both the door and the bulky carrier containing a quiet but curious pup. When she was sure the others could make it inside just fine, she let her foot leave the door; instead opting to walk over to the couch and set Rowoon down there. 

Yeri walked in after her and grimaced. "It smells weird."

"Uh, yeah, no one's been home for the past few days." Joy snorted. She took a quick second to check up on Sooyun who was just coming along for the ride, peacefully entertaining herself with her pacifier and gazing up at her sire with bright, trusting eyes. Last but not least came Wendy and Hyunhui with a nearly empty-handed Irene bringing up the rear. Despite her previous objections to sitting back and watching everyone do all of the heavy lifting, the doctor ordered her not to lift a finger for a while until her incision had completely healed. After all, having the stitches suddenly come undone would not be a pretty sight in the slightest. And so, begrudgingly, she heeded his directions and took it easy.

"Okay," Seulgi said confidently with her hands on her hips, staring at the three infants squirming and gurgling as they got more acquainted with the smells in the house. The prime continued to gaze at the kids intensely, but her mind drew up a blank. "What are we supposed to do with them?"

"Let's try to get them settled into the nursery for now," Wendy, ever the sharp thinker, suggested. "The sooner they get comfortable, the better it'll be for all of our sleep schedules." 

"Actually," A soft hand gently pulled on Wendy's shirt sleeve making her turn and raise her eyebrows to show her interest. "I was hoping I could get some time in the nest with them... if that's okay with you..." An omega's pregnancy often came with a few extra steps and Wendy mentally kicked herself for completely forgetting about the final faze of the sequence. Irene 2.0 needed closure. If she didn't get it, her internal clock would be thrown askew. To conclude a pregnancy, especially one that had produced a litter, it was normal and almost customary for a nester to want a few hours or even an entire night curled up with their newborns. Not only was this beneficial to the omega, but it also helped their pups get a sort of final crash course on what scents and fabrics they were supposed to seek comfort in using the materials their creator had carefully selected to be their teachers.

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" Wendy chuckled, rubbing Irene's arm as a sign of comfort. "Let's get you guys set up."

Once Irene and the pups were settled into the nest, Wendy pulled the nursery door closed with the intentions of giving them some alone time together. She hadn't interacted with Irene 2.0 in quite a while, but she supposed there would be plenty of time for them to get more acquainted in a few more weeks when Irene's regular heat cycle was due to pick back up or if she should get pregnant again some time in the far and distant future. Her heart did some happy little summersaults at the strong possibility of those future pups being hers, only this time they would be planned and made with just as much love as their older sister. But for now, the beautiful trio of little angels Irene had given them was more than enough for Wendy and she was sure Irene had felt the same. 

After staring at the door for a moment more in thought, Joy turned to her and giggled a bit at the awkwardness of the situation. "I feel weird, going about my normal day like there aren't three new youngyens in the house."

"Yeah," Wendy whispered back with an airy little chuckle. "I'm just glad they're here now. All I wanna do is hold them and pinch their cute little baby cheeks!" Her inner wishes got a good laugh out of Joy, though it soon faded into a soft, thoughtful smile.

"Hey, I know this might seem a bit out of the blue, but... can we talk?" Joy inquired softly, shuffling her feet against the polished wooden floors. "Um... in private?"

An influx of worry pumped through Wendy's veins. Had she done something wrong? Was Joy upset with her? Was there something she wanted to say? Taking an unnoticeable deep breath through the nose, Wendy nodded. "Yeah, sure. My room?" Joy nodded in agreement, slowly walking away from the nursery after the petite beta woman. When the door clicked shut behind them, Wendy turned to the tall figure taking a seat on her bed with a concerned but serious look on her face. "What's up? Is everything okay?"

The raven nervously fidgeted with her shirt sleeves while she spoke. "I don't think I ever really apologized to you."

Wendy shot the taller girl a curious look. "What for?"

"Coming in between you and Joohyun unnie," She murmured quietly. The bed sank a little beside her under Wendy's weight. She still avoided the smaller girl's eyes, but managed to continue. "You love her and she loves you. You're great together. Besides, it's not like I ever stood a chance anyway." She suddenly went silent and looked down at her hands hidden in her shirt sleeves, gnawing on her lower lip the way she did whenever she was trying to hide something.

Wendy quirked a knowing brow. "Is there something you're not telling me?" However, her answer didn't come right away. Joy curled herself into a ball, masking her eyes behind her arms. She wanted to clear her conscience and say what was weighing so heavily on her heart, but her mind was relentless. All she had to do was open her mouth and let her tongue do the rest, but she was too afraid to even do that much. What if Wendy thought she was kidding or saw her differently afterwards? How would it affect Sooyun? What if her baby got harassed in school for something that wasn't even her fault? Would she hate her for putting her through that humiliation? For a moment, she tried to collect herself and her thoughts before speaking a big chunk of them into existence. 

"I think I like other alphas." 

Wendy was clearly caught off guard, but managed a soft, blank little, "Oh" of comprehension. Joy shielded her face with her hands so she couldn't see Wendy's physical reaction. Now that someone else besides herself knew how she felt, and she had heard it slip through her own lips, it all felt more legitimate to her; like she had to stand behind those words with confidence when all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and die. "But I thought you liked Joohyun unnie." Wendy spoke while passing the younger girl a tissue.

"I did too," She sniffled and chuckled at her own hilarity. "But I guess I just liked her because she's pretty and I felt like I had to. I wanted to fit in with the order of things; omegas with alphas, alphas with omegas, and betas with other betas. Anything outside of that I thought was mental illness. I didn't want to feel like a psycho or an outcast, so my blood ran cold and I hid behind fake feelings for unnie that I guess were just envy," She said while fiddling with the wadded up tissue in her hands. "It was selfish of me; going out of my way to ruin your relationship when it had just gotten started all because I was scared of how people would think of me." Joy dabbed away a few fresh tears, looking up at the light on the ceiling. Meanwhile, Wendy remained silent though her ears were wide open.

"You didn't want to be _with_ her, you wanted to _be_ her." It took her a moment, but the nod of confirmation eventually came. Wendy patiently waited for the younger to continue, looking at her with eyes that swam with pity.

While situations like Joy's were not unheard of, they certainly weren't common either - not by any stretch of the imagination. One was more likely to spot same-sex couples walking down the street than same-dynamic couples, though homosexuality wasn't necessarily celebrated either - or at least not openly. Still, a same-sex relationship was not as taboo if the couple followed the standard laws of nature; those being an omega for an alpha and a beta for a beta. Even a beta-omega relationship could get a pass if the beta was male, but seeing as how Wendy was intersex, she and Irene would have to contend with their fair share menacing glares and rude whispers as well. However, Joy was a female alpha who, as far as Wendy knew, liked both male and female alphas to some extent. Some of the flack would be deducted since she was a woman of her dynamic which had placed her in the minority among alphan kind (the same would hold true for a male omega), but Joy was sensitive. It didn't matter how well or how poorly she would appear to the eyes of the public by comparison, any rude words of disapproval would stick in her head like glue. She was a people pleaser, but it was impossible to please everyone - especially when their culture was so intolerant of people who didn't fit within the standard box they had been put in by their ignorant forefathers.

Wendy's quiet thoughts sparked a new question. "But if you had previous thoughts of only being with other alphas, why did you want to mess around with unnie? Did you want to know for sure?"

"No," Joy faintly scoffed. "I had sex with her because I wanted her to feel good. Maybe a part of that was me wanting confirmation, I'm not sure, but she's always had this secret phobia of alphas and I wanted to remedy that. When I reminded her to take her suppressants right before all of this started, she seemed so terrified that Seulgi or I would..."

" _Jump_ her?" Wendy inquired softly for a lack of a better replacement for such a word. However, it seemed to be a satisfactory switch as it garnered a nod in response. 

"I wanted to take care of her so she wouldn't be so scared, but I got so _angry_ when Seulgi unnie came in and took her in rut. I got mad at her for imprinting on accident then turned right around and did the same damn thing on purpose." Joy sniffled and stuttered over her breaths, eyes turning red with guilt and tears. "I knew you two were in some sort of a relationship, but I got in the way anyway."

"You didn't get in the way," Joy rolled her eyes and scoffed, clearly not buying whatever the beta was trying to sell her. "Really! You're trying to figure out who you are and that's okay! Yeah, it hurt to share unnie's affection, but I did it because I love you, Sooyoung-ah," Joy flashed her a little half-hearted smile and looked back down at her lap, but Wendy wasn't quite finished stating her piece yet. "And, while I certainly don't agree with your... _methods_ , I can see where you were coming from though you'll have to take all of that up with unnie." The young alpha swallowed thickly and nodded. She was fretting such a conversation with the woman she had so easily manipulated. She had taken advantage of Irene's trust. Surely that would not fly by without a few consequences. 

Joy sighed, pulling her knees up and resting her forehead on them in perpetual dread. "She's gonna hate me."

The beta huffed at such a silly assumption. She reached over and rubbed the younger girl's back gently to calm her nerves. "No she's not."

"Why wouldn't she!?" The younger bit back making Wendy jump a little. " _I'm_ the one that started all of this! The bet, the pups, playing with my imprint and getting in the way of your courtship! If it wasn't for me, Joohyun unnie wouldn't have gotten pregnant and we'd still have our careers! She had to drop _everything_ to be a mom for a litter she never even wanted all because I got jealous and wanted to win a stupid game of Monopoly! _Monopoly_ , unnie! I let a _board game_ dictate the rest of our lives! What the hell does that say about me!?" The other gave her a moment to cool down after getting everything off of her chest. A spiteful snort broke the brief spell of silence. "All this time I thought Seulgi unnie was the bad guy, but now..."

"No one's the bad guy here," Wendy assured her. "Our careers weren't meant to last forever, and honestly, you probably _saved_ Joohyun unnie. If it weren't for the pups, I don't doubt she would've been sold off to be some alpha's trophy wife. We're all just people finding our own way now. You're allowed to make a few mistakes so long as you're capable of cleaning up the mess afterwards. With that being said, I won't sit here and deny that unnie was the most affected by those mistakes. That's something you'll have to own up to whenever she's ready to come talk to you. I don't think she regrets having the pups, though. They're the three best things that came out of this whole ordeal." The room fell quiet again save for a few crickets chirping outside of Wendy's window.

"Unnie was raised in Daegu, right?" Joy spoke softly. "We got along okay when she thought I was orderly, but... What if she doesn't approve of me now? I don't want her to be distant or try to keep Sooyun-ah away." The blonde bit the inside of her cheek, mulling over the possibilities herself. 

"I can't speak on her behalf, but she's come a long way since moving to Seoul. She's been subjected to a variety of different people from different walks of life with different preferences and beliefs from her own over these past few years," She broke her own thought with a chuckle. "Hell, she agreed to sleep with us, didn't she? And look at me! I'm certainly not what she was raised to look for in a partner, but she loves me in spite of that. Believe it or not, she loves you too. Maybe not in the same way she loves _me_ , but..." Joy giggled a little at the somewhat protective tone in the beta's voice that, in a sort of domino effect, made Wendy smile right along with her. "She just wants you to be happy, Sooyoung-ah. We all do. And now you have a beautiful baby girl with her, so you must have done _something_ right."

A light little laugh jingled as clearly as a bell. A few of the rain clouds filling Joy's mind had been cleared to make way for one little ray of hopeful sunshine. With a fond smile, she turned to look at the girl seated beside her; someone who's overattentive nature had left Joy on the fence several years ago, but she grew to appreciate through a friendship that had aged like fine wine. While her chatter box personality may annoy the sin out of her, Wendy had always been the epitome of selflessness. She was willing to sacrifice her own happiness to boost that of the ones she loved - even going so far as to let go of the reins a bit if the woman she loved had decided she would find more happiness elsewhere. Surely it hurt even more to watch Irene run into the arms of an alpha, especially an alpha she knew very well. Maybe she thought she wasn't good enough or couldn't quite satisfy a prime omega's needs. The thought of such beliefs being inflicted upon her friend because of her ate away at Joy's heart like termites to a fallen log. There were a million words Joy wanted to say to her, but all she could get out was a heart-felt; 

"Thank you."

* * *

When she heard the door to the nursery creak open, the prime scowled protectively and lifted her head. However, once she saw four heads peeking in with the light of the hallway behind them, her expression softened significantly. 

"Hey, unnie." Irene 2.0 looked at them with warm, inviting eyes, welcoming the other four members of her odd little family into her safe haven. Meanwhile, her pups babbled and squealed in baby language beside her.

As they slowly crept closer to peek inside of Irene's nest, Wendy and Seulgi chuckled at Rowoon who had been gnawing on the head of his teddy bear while his sisters went about their own business. Sooyun kicked her legs beside him and suckled on her own hand, gurgling through a happy smile when she saw her Mommy. As for the maknae, she was quiet as usual; sticking close to their Eomma's warmth out of uncertainty and taking a look around at the assortment of foreign materials she had used for nesting. 

Seulgi's hand cautiously reached into the nest and quickly received a pass from its guardian. The hand came to rest on top of Rowoon's tiny head, gently letting his coarse, dark hair slip between her fingers while the boy remained unbothered; calmly slobbering all over his fluffy bear companion. A pair of monolid eyes that mirrored Seulgi's own gazed up at her with such innocence it almost made her emotional. Though he was only a few days old, Rowoon had already shown exactly which of his parents he had taken after; a real chip off of the old Kang block. As she had stated before on the day they met, the only trait Rowoon had inherited from Irene was her nose. Everything else was pretty much entirely Seulgi, save for a few features that were uniquely his own.

While Seulgi continued interacting with her son, Irene looked over at the others with what appeared to be excitement in her doe-like eyes. She quickly reached for Joy's hand and rested it gently on Sooyun's little tummy. The child squealed softly in delight, pulling her hand away from her mouth and looking up at her sire in wonder as she leaned down closer to her level. 

"Hi, princess." Joy crooned quietly so as to not disrupt the tranquility of the room. A fit of airy baby giggles left the newborn's lungs as Joy showered her belly in kisses. Wendy smiled at the soft exchange, but lifted a curious brow when she caught Irene pouting in thought while glancing around the perimeter her nest. 

With a light chuckle, she leaned back to whisper in Yeri's ear. "I think she's trying to find space for you."

"Well tell her to stop. I'm not her kid."

A cheeky smirk quirked the corner of the older beta's lips. "This coming from the girl who had a mental breakdown when she realized all of her mother hen's attention wouldn't be on her anymore?"

"Shut up! That's not what happened!" The maknae whisper-shouted while giving Wendy's upper arm a warning slap that made the latter snort with laughter. A soft, adorable, and disapproving half-snarl caught the attention of both betas. Jealous Irene laid there with her chin resting on the wall of her nest, not knowing whether she should be shooting daggers at her soon-to-be-mate or eldest pup. With a humored chuckle, Wendy dutifully walked over and had a seat beside Irene just outside the wall of her nest. 

"I see you, sweetie." A low humming sound reverberated in the omega's chest as her landed an apologetic kiss to the top of her head.

"Whipped." 

Wendy lifted her head and shot the younger a look. "I heard that."

"I know." In a childish display of playful banter, Wendy stuck her tongue out at Yeri and received the same in return followed by a whimsical laugh.

In the meantime, Joy had carefully reached over to hold Hyunhui and give her some attention only to be met with fearful resistance. The tiny pup whimpered and cried in terror as she was gently being lifted away from her mother's side. A bit startled herself, Joy apologized and made a move to set her back down, but Irene was having none of it. Instead, she wordlessly urged a now very confused Joy to continue holding her youngest child. The raven looked to Hyunhui's other parent, clearly unsure of what to do. 

"She wants her to learn to trust you," Wendy explained with a soft but somewhat sad smile after hearing her pup's wails of fright. "Go ahead, don't be shy." Reluctantly, Joy obeyed. She pulled the tiny infant closer to her chest and cradled her in her arms, wincing a bit at the shrill raspiness of the baby's scared cries for her mother. The ruckus upset her siblings, but Irene quietly distracted them with unintelligible croons and things to play with. 

"Wow, guess she is Seungwannie's kid!" Yeri said while plugging her ears and hiding behind a cringing Seulgi's broad shoulder. Over time, the poor thing eventually wore her weak little lungs out and her cries slowly faded to nothing more than hiccups and tiny whimpers. However, as she came to the realization that the almost-stranger holding her wasn't trying to hurt her or take her away, she calmed down and looked up at Joy with a blank stare. While Sooyun's eyes had always flickered from one feature on her face to another, inspecting her, Hyunhui's were focused only on her eyes. Right away, Joy noticed that Hyunhui lacked that depth and lively shimmer in her eyes that her older siblings had. Instead, her mind and soul appeared to be off in some other galaxy far, far away.

It was captivating. 

"Alright, let's tell everyone goodnight." Wendy stated, pressing another kiss to her lover's head in parting. She carefully leaned forward to receive baby Hyunhui from Joy and placed her back in the nest beside her mother where she felt safe. As everyone else got up to leave and turn in for the night, Irene rested her head back inside of her nest. She watched her son yawn with a motherly smile and let his older sister wrap her little hand around her finger while she too let her eyes slowly flutter closed.

Once the others had dispersed, Wendy spared one last glance over her shoulder at their little family and smiled. With each passing day, she could feel herself falling more and more in love with the woman she would soon be calling her mate. While it was made very clear that the Baes were not at all fond of their daughter crossbreeding with a beta, Wendy already knew that her parents liked Irene and were well aware of their current situation which lifted a heavy burden off of her shoulders. Hopefully they would like her enough to approve of their union - maybe even take her under their wing as their daughter in-law some day - though the very real possibility of the triplets never getting the opportunity to establish a good, healthy relationship with Irene's parents was certainly upsetting. 

With a quiet sigh, Wendy bid them goodnight one last time, closed the door, and left them alone to sleep. 


	38. XXXVIII

One beautiful autumn day, Joy and Seulgi had decided to take Sooyun and Rowoon on their first real outing. By now, the leaves would be completely shed from their trees within the next few weeks so they were keen on letting the pups gawk at them before it got too cold. It truly was a shame they had to leave Hyunhui behind due to the risk of dust or other particulate matter blowing in from harvested fields and damaging her fragile lungs, but they were sure the others were perfectly capable of keeping her entertained through other methods. For now, they chatted casually while pushing their pups' strollers through the busy streets of Seoul. They made sure to keep a low profile as the group's disbandment was still relatively fresh in the minds of the press. The last thing they wanted to do was jeopardize their kids' privacy when they were hardly three weeks old. Just imagining the headlines and possible scandals that could come of their discovery made the duo cringe. That said, they didn't want the ghost of their deceased careers to affect the pups' upbringing so they accepted the fact that they would have to hide behind hats and accessories until Red Velvet was nothing more than an ancient artifact in the eyes of the public.

While her brother slept quietly in his personal pocket of space beside hers, peacefully sucking on his pacifier, Sooyun made an effort to tug at her mask and whined. The sounds caught her sire's attention, but rather than removing her mask like she wanted, Joy instead readjusted it to make sure her airways were well protected. 

"It'd be nice if we could live somewhere cleaner," Seulgi said while watching with a quirked lip. "All this dust in the air isn't good for anyone."

"I know," Joy sighed in agreement. "I'm worried for all of them, but I hate that Hyunhui-ah has to stay cooped up. I think it'd be good for her to get out for a little while, see the world - especially since she's already so attached to Joohyun unnie. Maybe we can move to the countryside once we can afford our own place. I'm sure Bogum will want his bachelor pad back sometime soon." A fit of pathetic whimpers let them know Sooyun was about to cry. She had kicked her little legs out from underneath her soft, yellow blanket which had exposed them to the chilly air of the outdoors. That coupled with the mask covering her face was cooking up a recipe for complaint. "The real world's a lot colder than Eomma's tummy, huh?" Joy chuckled, reaching down to pull her daughter's blanket back over her tiny feet. 

"It's so weird hearing you call Joohyun unnie Eomma." Seulgi laughed. 

"That's what she is, isn't she? They have to learn what to call us somehow. I think it'd be weirder to call her by her real name towards her own child, don't you think?"

"I guess you have a point."

The duo continued their leisurely stroll through the tamer side of town, passing shop windows and weaving around advertisement boards propped up on the sidewalk. As they walked by a small restaurant, Joy paused to examine an old poster of Irene's soju endorsement thus stopping the stroller as well. Seulgi shot her a little look of confusion until she saw what had caught her eye. With a fond and reminiscent smile, Joy carefully picked her baby up out of the stroller and cradled her in her arm, looking at her while pointing at the poster with a grin. 

"Who's that?" Sooyun didn't say a word as she wasn't able to. Instead, she sucked on her fingers and looked up at the familiar figure printed on the sign though it was harder for her to identify her mother without her scent or voice. After a moment, she pulled her drool-coated hand out of her mouth and blankly stared up at the poster. When she lost interest in that, she craned her head to see what was going on inside of the restaurant through the glass. 

"I don't think she really cares." Seulgi laughed while absentmindedly rolling the stroller forwards and backwards. 

"Guess not. She's just chic like that." The younger sire playfully smooched her daughter's soft, chubby cheek before turning around to place her back in the stroller beside her brother. As they started moving again, Rowoon began to wake up. With his mask placed around his neck for the time being, his little mouth opened in a surprisingly large yawn, a baby blue pacifier slipping out onto his chest. 

"Hey, cubby boy. Nice of you to join us." Seulgi teased softly, reaching through the handle on her side of the conjoined perambulator to wipe a bit of spittle away from her son's chin. Rowoon's monolid eyes glanced around at the world going by while he grabbed his pacifier and gnawed on it for a bit before nearly flinging it out of the stroller due to his lack of coordination. Seulgi quickly clipped it back onto the designated string attached to the infant's onesie. "Careful, bub. If it hits the ground, you're not getting it back." Joy smiled at the cute pet name and spared a glance down at the child she considered to be her nephew. He was the spitting image of Seulgi. While Hyunhui looked more like Irene and Sooyun was a pretty even blend of her parents' traits, Rowoon was practically a male clone of his Mama save for his Eomma's distinct nose shape. From his tanned skin up to his thick mane of hair, there was no denying his relations to Kang Seulgi. Funny how the lottery of genetics worked. "Hey, do you wanna break for lunch somewhere?"

Seulgi's distinct voice managed to snap Joy out of her thoughts. "Yeah, sure. What're you in the mood for?" The older replied with a shrug - an action that received a traditionally Joy-ish reaction. "You're the one who wants to eat!"

"So? Doesn't mean I know exactly what I want." Seulgi chuckled. "I am in the mood for meat though."

"Agreed," Joy said with a nod while staring down the long stretch of sidewalk at each restaurant sign she could spot thanks to her gift of above average height. "Hmmm, Barbecue?"

"Nah."

"How about Thai food?"

"Pass." Joy shot Seulgi a humored look. 

"You know I don't have the patience to stand here and read these out to you. Just pick something."

Seulgi chuckled in a playfully dramatic groan, starting to push the stroller again. "Fine. Sunmi unnie told me about a pretty good place a while back I've been meaning to try if you're down for a little adventure."

Joy heard the challenging tone in the older alpha's voice and smirked. "Your eccentric tastes don't scare me, Kang Seulgi." Not one to be too thoroughly invested in competitive matters, Seulgi giggled; sporting her signature eye smile that outshone even the sun itself. Seeing it made Joy's heart feel as though it was being snuggled by a big, fluffy teddy bear. 

"We should get something for unnie on the way back," Seulgi ever so thoughtfully suggested. "Since she's got the baby blues and all."

The raven's features fell into an expression of concern. "Baby blues?"

"Have you noticed how depressed she's been lately?" Seulgi inquired while reaching down to fix the foot on Rowoon's onesie so it would fit more comfortably. "Yesterday she yelled at me for leaving a dirty fork in the sink. I caught her crying a couple times too. Her hormones are dropping like crazy now that the pups are born." With this new information haunting her brain, Joy gazed down at the concrete in front of the moving stroller deep in thought. She had heard about mothers entering very brief fazes of depression after having their babies, but she never thought it would happen to Irene. She just hoped it wouldn't go anywhere past the postpartum depression benchmark as that would open up a whole other case of problems pertaining to Irene's maternal bond with the triplets. In extreme cases, it could compel a mother to act out of character and have thoughts of harming herself or her baby. They would have to keep a close eye on her over the next few days to make sure it was only baby blues and not the start of something far more severe. But for now, they could help lift her spirits through little acts of support and kindness as well as more than just a few healing hugs. 

Eventually the quartet stopped in front of a quaint little restaurant quite a ways away from the gated community Bogum's house resided in. However, despite the lengthy walking distance, it appeared to be well rated but relatively empty at this hour which was much appreciated. The two took a seat at a table in the corner; out of sight and out of mind if someone should come in and possibly recognize them. 

While they patiently waited for the owner to come by and take their orders, Joy thoughtfully twirled her ice water with her straw. "I think I might take a little vacation and stay at a hotel since my rut's coming up," She pondered. "We could make it an alpha get away if you want. That way unnie won't feel so on-edge having two rutting alphas hanging around."

"Yeah, about that..." Seulgi cleared her throat making Joy's brain naturally run into overdrive. Even though she hadn't come out to Seulgi yet, she couldn't help but feel paranoid about making her feel uncomfortable or that she was implying something promiscuous. Her panicked effort to over explain her intentions were quickly shut down by the older alpha across the table from her. "Actually, I got a vasectomy a while back," She confessed somewhat awkwardly, looking down at the table. "Needless to say, I won't be going into rut anytime soon."

"Oh," Joy breathed quietly. "How come?" 

"Honestly, I never wanted pups," Seulgi bluntly admitted while fixing Rowoon's blanket with a sweet smile. "Other that WoonWoon, of course. Plus now I won't have to worry about a rut anymore. It can just be Seulgi time all the time." She said with a sweet little giggle that brought a happy smile to the younger's face.

"Well I'm happy for you, unnie." 

"Oh! The little cutie pies! Hello, hello!" A short and endearingly portly woman - the owner of the restaurant - squeaked in a high-pitched baby voice while tickling Rowoon's tummy making him smile. "You have a beautiful family! I know things can be tough for couples like you, but just know that not all people my age think that way. I happily serve homodynamic couples here - same as anyone else should." She said with a sweet smile, hovering her pen over her note pad.

"Uh, we appreciate your kindness, but we aren't a couple." Seulgi chuckled awkwardly. Meanwhile, Joy kept her head down; sucking water up through her straw in silence. 

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry!" The shop owner humbly apologized. "I just saw the pups and I thought..."

"It's okay," Seulgi assured her with a smile. "I can see how it could be confusing."

"Well, what can I get started for you folks today?" While Seulgi politely placed both of their orders, Joy tried to figure out the strange gnawing feeling in her chest. Shouldn't she feel comforted by the owner's sweet words of support? So why did she feel so icky inside?

"Sooyoung-ah?" Joy quickly snapped out of her own head to find Seulgi looking at her from the other side of the booth. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," She sighed, readjusting herself in her seat. "Just daydreaming I guess." Seulgi accepted that answer with a cute nod and continued munching on her bean sprouts in blissful ignorance.

When Rowoon started to get fussy, Seulgi scooched over to dig through the diaper bag hanging over the back of the stroller until she found one of the bottles she had prepared before leaving the house that morning. She gave it a firm shake and tested the temperature of the formula with her finger before setting the bottle off to the side and reaching for her hungry cub. When he was in a comfortable enough position, cradled in her arms, she held the bottle up and let the boy eat in peace. It was odd but intriguing; watching a baby bear look after another baby bear.

Seulgi was often on the receiving end of the maknae line's teasing - too sweet and innocent to proudly defend herself as an alpha usually would. Instead, she laughed right along with them for the most part. Even though she technically was in the highest position as a prime alpha, she put up with the harassment - especially after shouldering the guilt she carried after imprinting on Irene. For a while she treated it as a sort of punishment, something she deserved for being a 'good' alpha but a bad friend. However, even with all of that self loathing bubbling beneath the surface, she and Joy had always played pretty well together. Now, seeing Seulgi bravely taking on her new role and responsibilities as a mom, acting so mature, it was an eye-opener for Joy. They were all growing up a little more each day, hour by hour. It was a beautiful but jarring thing to see and experience first-hand.

Seulgi looked up at her, already knowing the answer to her coming question, but figuring she'd use it as a sort of indirect reminder. "Has Sooy eaten yet?" 

"Not yet," Joy replied, looking over at her sleeping daughter. "I'll let her nap for a little while longer."

"Alrighty," The sweet old lady said while placing their designated bowls down on the table in front of them. "Careful! They're a bit warm! Perfect for a cold, windy day like today, no?" Seulgi voiced her agreement and thanked her, but held off on eating until her hands were free. Out of manners and respect, Joy refrained from digging in as well. Instead, she watched Rowoon finish up the last of his bottle before batting it away with his paw. Like a well-oiled machine, Seulgi reached for a designated burping rag and draped it over her shoulder, making sure she wasn't disturbing any of the other patrons before bouncing him gently and patting his little back. She reached to lift a spoon full of her noodles' broth into her mouth just as a tiny burp was coaxed out of her son's happy tummy. She quickly cleaned up whatever he spit back up before placing him back in the stroller safe and sound. Almost instantaneously he was knocked right out again. 

"Your kid sure can sleep." Joy chuckled, lifting a piece of meat to her mouth with a pair of chopsticks.

"He wants to grow up tall one day!" Seulgi chimed back sweetly in Rowoon's defense. 

"Then at this rate, he'll be 305 centimeters by his first birthday." The older woman shot her a glance that made her giggle playfully.

* * *

When they rolled their way back home, sore-footed and exhausted, Seulgi and Joy couldn't help but notice that all of the blinds and curtains in the house had been pulled shut. Thus, the interior had taken on a dark and gloomy mood when combined with the darker stain of the wood it was predominantly composed of. 

"Well this is depressing." Joy remarked, walking further into the living room while Seulgi lifted the pups out of the stroller. "Hello? Unnie? Yerim-a-" Before she could finish, Joy jumped at a figure storming down the hallway from her peripheral vision. Without even sparing them a second glance, a rather spooky-looking Irene drifted right past Joy on her way to the kitchen with two empty bottles in hand. Joy turned and shot Seulgi an inquisitive and somewhat fearful glance over her shoulder that received an equally as confused shrug in return. "Uh, unnie?" Joy called, following Irene's path to the kitchen.

She found her rinsing out the bottles in the sink, sighing and muttering under her breath. Even with her back facing her, there was a clear aura of aggression to her stance; her weight rested on one leg while the nails of her free hand drummed steadily on the countertop. 

The metal pot sitting at the bottom of the sink was hit with a loud bang that made Joy nearly have a heart attack. Irene placed the bottles on the drying rack and reached to wipe the water from her hands with a nearby dish towel. When she heard the sound of her wailing daughter pick up again, she took a moment to breathe through her frustrations. Joy could see that she was choking back a sob, trying to play it off as an odd chuckle or a cough. Clearly her influx in hormones, severe lack of sleep, and perpetual stress were pushing her to the verge of a mental breakdown. 

Worried for her mental and emotional health, Joy softly spoke up. "... Unnie?"

"Don't talk to me." She sighed and without another word, swiftly brushed by Joy again to tend to her crying runt. 

"Did I do something wro-?"

"Sooyoung, I'm really not in the mood right now." Irene spoke in a warning tone, turning on her heels to walk away before she said something she would regret.

Irene was notorious for being scary and having a cold image; both assumptions that were usually debunked by her tender, composed, and well-mannered demeanor. She often had loud bursts of false rage that came when she was losing a game or grew frustrated with her members not listening to their leader's instructions. However, those intimidating qualities came back in an ominous, bellowing snow cloud in the rare instances Irene truly became angry. There was a cold, quiet callousness to her anger that would shut any and everything down until it blew past. As the one who needed to be level-headed at all times in order to wisely resolve conflicts or give sound advise within the group, Irene rarely showed her dark side to her members. But when she did, it was best not to cross her. 

However, now her frustrations affected three other people as well - people who couldn't yet understand or know how to work around their mother's moments of anger. All they would know is that she was upset thus making them cry even more only adding more fuel to the fire. Irene needed to take a moment to recollect herself before things got too messy too quickly. 

Having heard her lover's stomping and grumbling, Wendy padded into the kitchen with furrowed brows. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Joy murmured, looking in the direction of the nursery with concern. "We just got back, but she's clearly on-edge about something."

"Let me go talk to her." Wendy stated, already on her way to the door of the nursery. She gave it a gentle knock before opening the door. Rather than finding her trying to calm the crying baby as she had expected, Irene was pacing around on the opposite side of the room with no clear direction in a state of mental malfunction with her hands pressed tightly over her ears. Wendy's heart ached in her chest at the sight of her lover in distress.

Quietly, she walked over to her and rested a hand on her shoulder making the teary-eyed omega spin around in alarm. Before she could choke out some form of excuse to hide her vulnerability behind, Wendy's arms wrapped around her in a warm hug. 

"You need to just step away for a while," She murmured softly but sternly into her partner's ear. "This isn't doing either of you any good."

"Why won't she stop crying?" The tiny raven stuttered in a broken sob over Wendy's shoulder. "I don't know what am I doing wrong."

"If she's already been fed and changed, my mom told me that sometimes you have to just let them cry it out."

"That's awful!" Irene snapped, quickly jerking out of Wendy's arms, seething with anger. The beta was quick to grab hold of her upper arms as a sign of sincerity.

"It may seem that way, but if we come running every time they make so much as a peep, we'll only be teaching them that whenever they're bored, they can cry and we'll give them attention. We have to teach them only to cry when they need something." Realizing that what she said was true, Irene hid her tearful face behind her hands.

Wendy took pity on her. Even with the others there to help her juggle the trio, there were certain tasks and duties only Irene could do. Performing them with only one baby would be strenuous enough, but three newborns with different needs and personalities constantly calling for your attention at different hours of the day was beyond overwhelming - especially while suffering postpartum symptoms. Out of sheer desperation, Irene had called her grandmother for some guidance only to be told that she was a terrible mother. 'If your pups are crying so much, you obviously don't know how to care for them properly,' 'When I was raising your mother, she never cried that often,' 'Maybe if you had mated an alpha before having kids you wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.' Her brief but scarring talk on the phone with the only person she thought she still had from her severed branch of a family tree, listening to her viscous attack on her character and capabilities; it set Irene back ages in regards to her recovery. She had already been struggling enough as it was with accepting the changes in her body, coming to terms with the odd circumstances of her litter's conception, being told and convincing herself that she was a bad mother then trying to tend to her newborns when all she wanted to do was lock herself away into her darkened bedroom and cry herself to sleep. 

However, all of these demons were kept internal and ate away at her from the inside out. She tried to play everything off as cheerfully as she could for the sake of her members while in reality, she felt like a dying hamster stuck in a wheel. She was growing out of touch with her mother's intuition thanks to the dark cloud of misery fogging up her head. Irene began to question every action and every decision she made in regards to her newborns, wondering if she was doing everything right by the book that doesn't exist.

Up until now, all of her internal self-destruction had remained just that; internal. However, now she found herself unconsciously beginning to let that rise to the surface and rear its ugly head as she had already convinced herself her pups' sires must have felt the same way. After all, they had heard the pups' constant cries through the night just as clearly as she had. No baby would cry like that if they were being properly cared for, right?

As her tiny maknae continued to wail relentlessly with whatever power she could muster in her weak little lungs and was soon joined by a distant duet composed of the voices belonging to her older half-siblings, Irene had finally reached her breaking point. "I'm a horrible mother." She whispered quietly into her hands through a break in her fit of heartbroken sobs. 

"No you're not," Wendy assured her, pulling her back into a warm, comforting embrace. "You're a new mom. You're not expected to get everything right the first time." The omega's sniffles never ceased and neither did the pups' cries. "Go take a break for a while, unnie. We can take over from here." Irene nodded meekly and wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt on her way out of the nursery. Joy and Seulgi were there with their pups, trying to calm them down while also trying to give her a few sweet words of encouragement in passing that fell upon deaf ears. 

Irene didn't retreat to her room. Instead, she slipped quietly into the hall bathroom between Wendy's room and hers, clicking the door closed behind her. With a forlorn sigh, she wandered over to the sink and splashed a bit of cold water on her face to help redeem her composure after crying. The sound of the water running helped drown out the tiny cries of her children. No loving parent enjoyed hearing their kids' sadness and Irene was no exception. Still, she had never been so frustrated with one of the pups before. It took everything in her not to shout what Hyunhui wanted from her in a desperate plea for a hint, a clue, anything but what she had been giving her.

The tap continued to run as she wiped herself off with a nearby towel and looked herself dead in the eye through the reflective surface of the mirror. She looked like a corpse, from her unhealthily pasty skin to the dark circles forming under her eyes. If only netizens could see her now. She was too cold, too heartless, too fragile, too quiet, too lacking; just another pretty face to credit her success to and be lost beneath the sands of time. With an unhappy exhale through the nose, Irene opened the medicine cabinet in search of something to kill her pounding headache. Instead, her eyes landed on a bottle of potent painkillers she had been prescribed before leaving the hospital to help ease the sting in her stitches.

Suddenly, it felt like her entire world had stopped spinning. The thought that came to mind was a scary one, but it was morbidly enticing nonetheless.

The dark cloud looming in her skull stopped swelling as though it was anticipating her next move as well. Brown eyes drifted to her ghastly reflection in the mirror and from there, the floodgates holding back a tsunami of negative self-talk burst forth. What good was she doing anyone by being there? All she had ever been praised for were her good looks and fertility and even now those were slowly fading. Nobody would take a withered old hag for a mate - not even the sweet, adorable Wendy. Eunyeong was right; who would want to touch her after the changes her body had gone through? How was she supposed to be loved without her one redeeming quality? Even with her symmetrical face and good body proportions, her own parents didn't even want her. After all, she had spread her legs like a breeder and smeared her tainted innocence across her family's name for all to see. Hell, she couldn't even take proper care of the precious fruit such promiscuous behavior had produced. Maybe if she hadn't existed at all, she wouldn't be there as a burden to her family and her members would still have their careers and personal freedoms. Instead, their youth had ended all too abruptly because their supposedly responsible leader had forgotten to use protection and carried the fertility curse of a prime. In her eyes, they were already better people and parents than a whore like her could ever be, so again she asked herself; what was her purpose? To take up space? To serve her pups as an example of what _not_ to be? 

Irene reached out and took the bottle of drugs in a trembling hand. She didn't want to be everyone's burden anymore. She wanted them to be happier, but in her delusion, she thought this meant that she would have to eliminate herself from the equation completely. With this in mind, she came to the dreary conclusion that it would be in her loved ones' best interest for her not to go on from there. She tapped a hand full of the pills into the palm of her hand and stared at them quietly. In truth, she didn't want to die, but she just felt so hopeless that it seemed like the better option. A sudden pounding on the door made her breath catch in her throat.

"Unnie?" Joy's voice called from the other side. "You've been in there for a while. Don't pick at your stitches, okay?" When there was no response, a sinking feeling in Joy's gut made her pound harder. "Unnie?" She twisted the door knob to find it was left unlocked, however, the horrifying image that was waiting for her on the other side had rocked her to her core. Time seemed to move in slow motion as she bolted to stop Irene from overdosing and taking her own life. 

"Unnie!!" Her panicked scream along with the frightening image of someone much taller than her barreling towards her made Irene shriek at the top of her lungs - though perhaps it was truly a cry for help. Joy quickly batted the bottle out of her hand and with the help of her inertia, nearly knocked Irene to the floor with it. A multitude of pills scattered loudly across the tile flooring of the bathroom. As the reality of what had just happened began to sink in, Irene's face went red with terrified emotion. Joy quickly grabbed her by the arms and bent to her level, wiping strands of black hair away from her face to make sure she wasn't turning purple. "What the hell were you-!? Did you swallow any!?" She asked in a state of pure terror, having never felt so relieved to see a simple shake of the head. She pulled the woman - now weeping with confusion and fright - against her chest and slowly made her way down to the floor, never once loosening her hold of Irene.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," She whispered while stroking the loudly sobbing older woman's hair. "Shh, shh, hey, it's okay. You're okay, unnie."

For a while, they sat like that with Joy rubbing circles over her unnie's heaving back, shushing her softly while staring at the pills spread out across the floor on the other side of the bathroom, trying not to cry herself. If they had known things had been so bad for Irene earlier, they would have gotten her the help she needed. Instead, all of their attention had been so focused on the newborns that Irene's mental health had become nothing more than background noise - even for Irene herself. 

Having heard the commotion coming from the bathroom, the other three members poked their heads in. One by one, they each tried to assemble the pieces of the puzzle, from the pills and bottle on the floor to Joy holding a clearly distraught Irene in her arms from their place beside the bathtub. Seulgi shot the other alpha a questioning look. When she looked up, the tears in the younger girl's eyes and the tremor in her breaths had spoken a thousand words. 

Seulgi quickly padded over and crouched down to their level, rubbing Irene's arm while trying to see her face. However, Irene turned to bury it in Joy's chest to hide her sorrows, fear, and shame. Not wanting to overcrowd her, Wendy and Yeri remained standing in front of the sink. 

Still a bit confused by the whole situation, Yeri softly spoke her questions into faint echoes. "Did she...?" Wendy gave her arm a little nudge to catch her attention and shook her head as a sign to say that now was not the time for an in-depth discussion. No one really knew what to do or say. They just knew that they had to rally around the broken omega crying on the floor - a fallen member of their little pack. Irene had shed a few tears in front of them on occasion, but never like this. It was jarring; knowing that the darkness clogging her inner state had pushed her into attempting something of this magnitude. From their perspective, she appeared to have been adjusting so well to the change in circumstances. Clearly their perception of reality was flawed. 

While all four of them were troubled by their beloved leader's drastic actions, no one was more affected by them than Wendy. Shock towards the situation as a friend was one thing, but fear as a lover was a whole other floor of terror. She could have easily lost the only person she had ever truly loved in the snap of a finger if not for Joy's intuition. If pure, dumb luck had not played a part in things, or if the door had been locked, they may not have even known what had happened until it was far too late. Wendy dared not even touch the thought of such a devastating alternative to their current reality. 

As Irene's loud sobs faded to quiet sniffles and whimpers, Seulgi decided to be the one to break the ice. "Shouldn't we be taking her to the hospital right now?"

"She said she didn't swallow anything," Joy said, looking down at Irene who was clinging on to the material of her shirt for dear life. "Right?" The petite raven nodded into her chest, but still refused to show her face. 

After another, granted, much briefer spell of silence, the group's maknae and Irene's first baby quietly spoke up. "Why, unnie?" Irene just shook her head and started to cry again softly into Joy's tee shirt. 

"We can talk about this later. Right now, let's just give her a some space while we clean this up." Joy urged Irene to move just enough for her to get back on her feet before picking her up and carrying her off to her bedroom to rest. However, against Joy's instructions, Wendy hastily followed suit. When she noticed the small beta standing beside Irene's bed with her arms folded unsurely over her chest, Joy raised a curious brow. 

"I want to stay with her... just in case." Irene looked at her crushed lover with wet eyes. She didn't have the words nor the courage to explain everything to her at the time. Instead, she laid back down without another word. Joy looked at her, begging the question to which she nodded. The taller raven gave her hip a comforting pat and got up to walk away. However, before she left, she murmured back over to her disheveled leader with her hand on the door knob.

"For the record, this isn't something we're about to just sweep under the rug," She stated bluntly with a serious look in her eye. "Come find us when you're ready to talk." With that, she pulled the door closed and joined Seulgi and Yeri in collecting all of the pills still sitting on the floor of the bathroom.

Now that they were alone, Wendy sighed to herself and slowly climbed into bed beside her lover. For a moment, she just laid there; staring at the woman's back deep in thought. She had hoped that Irene would have been more open with her now that they were a couple, but instead, she had been just as reserved and closed-off as she was before. Knowing what she knew now, it felt like she didn't even know her anymore. Perhaps all of this was because of her postpartum, or maybe there were several underlying issues in regards to Irene's mental health. Either way, she wanted to understand and help her through it, but she would need those efforts to be matched in full. 

"Why do you love me?" Wendy snapped out of her daze, having heard the soft but melancholic mutter coming from the other side of the bed. 

"Pardon?" Irene sighed quietly to herself, frustrated with her partner's failure to comprehend what she had said the first time. 

"My looks won't last forever, you know. Sooner or later, I'll be a withered old woman lacking in personality and charm. My question is; why do you still want me?"

"Do you really think I'm that shallow?" Wendy murmured back crossly in defense. "I don't know why you're so down on yourself lately, but it needs to stop. I love you because I love you - point blank. That's the way it is now and that's the way it'll be in sixty years so you'll either like it or tell me to walk away because I can't keep going around and around like this anymore." Irene was quiet for a moment, seemingly digesting her lover's frustrations. At first it was Wendy who was questioning Irene's love for her and now things had turned on their heads to where Irene was questioning Wendy's. Ironically, they had both thought the other was too good to be true at some point or another. Now they just needed the seesaw to balance out.

"It's not that I think you're shallow," Irene said, turning so that she was now facing Wendy. When she noticed Wendy's hand resting between their pillows, she reached up to fiddle with her fingers while they spoke."I just don't understand what it is you see in me."

"There are times where I feel the same way," Wendy replied earnestly. "That's a part of what love is, isn't it? Not knowing why it is you love them, but celebrating it anyway?"

"Or hating it," Irene snorted quietly, looking up and spotting the confused yet hurt look on her lover's face. "In terms of the whole love-hate relationship fad. Toxic relationships."

"Ah," Wendy chuckled while watching Irene absentmindedly play with her hand, finally understanding the context that matched the statement. "And here I was about to cry." Irene flashed her a tiny hint of a smile then moved her eyes back to her partner's small, womanly hand. However, Wendy's eyes were more focused on her. There was clearly an elephant in the room that Wendy desperately wanted address, but wasn't quite sure how to go about doing it. There was no lighter way of framing it; her girlfriend had just tried to kill herself and now they were just chatting like it had never even happened. Losing Irene would probably hurt worse than losing each of her limbs one by one. Not to mention how the pups would have been affected, growing up without their mother - the woman by whom all of them were related. Irene was quite literally the hub at which all of the wheel's axles were joined. Without her, their entire system would immediately come apart.

Quietly, Wendy reached out to wrap a strand of jet black locks around her finger. "Why did you do it?" She whispered with a chime of heartache ringing out in her throat. "Tell me honestly." Irene breathed deeply for a moment, trying to come to terms with her own reasoning as well.

"I've been depressed lately," She confessed. "It's been affecting by relationship with the pups and because of that I don't think I'm fulfilling my duties as a parent. Sooy won't even latch now that my emotions are affecting my milk. Pile all of that on top of feeling like a slut and a waste of space, I guess that about sums it up." She retracted her own hand from Wendy's and looked down at it with a sort of apologetic appreciation in her eyes. "People do the craziest things when they feel sad and worthless." The beta's frown softened, but not enough to disappear completely. Irene would need several weeks of therapy to bounce back from this. Still, she was glad to see she was doing somewhat alright after hitting rock bottom. She had a new respect for life; being able to touch Irene and hear her soothing voice, hold their daughter, watch her lover interact with her other pups - all of which Wendy loved individually in their own right. A world without that was hardly a world at all, at least by Wendy's standards. 

"Well, you're not a slut and none of us think you're worthless," She said, pulling Irene closer and kissing her cheek to comfort her. "In fact, I'd say you're the most important person out of all of us. If it wasn't for you, we'd be a group without a leader and our little ones wouldn't exist. I stand by what I've said before and I'll say it again; you'll make - and you already are - a wonderful mother," Another little kiss landed on her forehead made teary-eyed Irene smile. "I love you, Hyunnie. We all do." Irene's lashes fluttered like the elegant wings of a butterfly as she tried to suppress another round of tears and failed miserably. Her lower lip trembled a little as she curled even further into Wendy's warmth and let herself cry freely, much to Wendy's bewilderment.

"You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that."

Wendy smiled and stroked the back of her head gently. "Then I'll be sure to remind you every day."

"What did I do in a past life to earn you as my mate?" Being referred to as Irene's mate despite the fact that they weren't yet mated did things to Wendy's heart - beautiful and wonderful things. It made her nervously anticipate the night they would seal the deal once Irene had worked through her baby blues and they had received the Son family's blessing. 

"Son Joohyun sounds nice." Irene's cheeks heated up at the random murmur, though Wendy couldn't see it from her vantage point.

"My name doesn't change when you mate me, dummy."

"It does when I marry you." Wendy laughed at the way Irene quietly groaned to hide the giddy feeling in her chest due to her partner's infamous greasiness. 

"How do you do that?"

Wendy's brows furrowed in confusion. "Do what?"

"Make me go from knocking on death's door to feeling butterflies." The younger just pursed her lips.

"I don't know, but I'm glad that I can," Irene sighed in contempt, snuggling against Wendy's front in bliss. A soft yawn made Wendy chuckle. Knowing that Irene must have been tired after her lengthy spell of insomnia and being constantly woken up by needy pups, she posed an obvious question. "Sleepy?"

"A little," Irene muttered, though it was probably the biggest understatement of the year. "I think I'll nap for a while before talking to the others. Just wake me up in an hour."

"Sure." She sat up and helped Irene settle under the covers, but not before a shy peck landed on her cheek.

"I love you." Wendy's heart did a happy little summersault while her partner finished getting comfortable with a soft sigh; her head using her lap as a pillow instead. The platinum blonde chuckled and combed a few tangles out of Irene's hair.

"I love you squared."


	39. XXXIX

Everyone was relieved, but put on-edge after almost losing Irene. Although she had started seeing a psychotherapist regularly, she wasn't allowed to be left unsupervised after the incident in case she should make a second attempt. If she got up when one of the pups started crying in the middle of the night, someone else would have to get up as well. If she went to the bathroom - whether it be to shower off, get ready for bed, or actually use the restroom - someone would stand outside and time her. Even her meals were tentatively prepared and overseen by one of her members. While she appreciated their concern, Irene was beginning to feel claustrophobic. It felt like a vulture was constantly watching her, a confused field mouse, scamper through a maze of towering corn stalks. So, after a lengthy four-hour talk with her members, Irene made the executive decision to spend some time in the hospital's care. This way, she could be monitored closely for any further signs of mental health issues while also getting her helicopter loved ones off her back. 

However, much to everyone's surprise, Irene was being sent home early. After just two weeks of further inspection and analysis, Irene had been diagnosed with mild postpartum depression. As if her admission into the hospital had scared them away, many of her issues had ran for the hills once her hormones leveled back out. Still, she held onto a few of her symptoms - namely her insomnia, slight loss of appetite, and anxiety, but nothing that wasn't curable with a little time and patience. They kept her for an extra few days for good measure, but saw no reason to hold her hostage any longer than they needed to - especially with three infants waiting for her at home. 

"Move it over just a little."

"Which way?" Wendy inquired through a strained grunt while standing on the tips of her toes, holding the 'welcome home' banner in place as best she could. The chair she was using to boost her height wobbled due to one leg being shorter than the others making her gasp under her breath in surprise. Joy made a window with her hands and closed one eye, trying to find that sweet spot where the banner would be perfectly centered.

"A little to the left," Wendy did as she was told, but Joy quickly stopped her. "No! My left!"

"We have the same left, you idiot!"

"Pabo! Pabo!" The banner committee turned to look for the source of the high-pitched voice. As expected, they found a grinning Yeri standing nearby with baby Sooyun on her hip and a pink helium balloon in her hand. The older duo watched with unenthused faces as the maknae inhaled more gas to make her voice sound higher. "Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3," Joy's daughter giggled and made an effort to clap her hands, enraptured by her aunt's silly-sounding voice. Yeri put on a smile and waved the little ones hand playfully while bouncing her in place. "Sooie! Eomma's coming home to save you soon!" She cheered as the helium's affects slowly wore off.

"Save her?" Wendy chuckled while hammering the nail into the beam hanging over the open doorframe separating the kitchen from the living room.

"Yeah, from her dumb Mommy." Joy fired back with a somewhat intimidating glare. "What? Between you and Seulgi unnie, both of your IQ's barely add up to your ages."

"Yerim-ah!" Yeri cackled and jogged a safe enough distance away in case Joy decided to physically retaliate. When she knew she was safe, she returned to her station on the couch beside the ever so quiet Hyunhui's pop-up cradle and reached for another balloon out of the bag sitting on the coffee table. Sooyun was understandably curious, having never seen such alien objects before, and reached out to grab at the rubbery decoration as it was brought up to her aunt's lips. However, she was still much too young to play with one as it was a choking hazard so Yeri made sure to keep them well out of her reach.

"Nuh uh, no balloons for baby." The pup's chin crinkled unhappily as tiny whimpers escaped her lungs. Yeri smiled and kissed her chubby cheek, blowing against them to make a wet farting sound. To aid her in her mission of helping pouty Sooyun feel better, Yeri handed her a nearby ball to play with instead. That seemed to turn Sooyun's frown upside down. "There," Yeri laughed. "A smiley Sooie is always my favorite Sooie." Joy made a soft smile towards the duo while shaking out a fresh table cloth. It warmed her heart to see her dongsaeng interact so sweetly with her child.

Seulgi and Yeri shared similar perspectives coming into and adapting to the whole baby ordeal. One was a free-spirited wanderer afraid of letting anyone down while the other was nearly a child herself worried she would be forgotten underneath piles of new responsibilities. However, despite their initial fears, both were adjusting quite nicely to their new way of life, especially Yeri. She rather enjoyed her new role as the cool aunt. Yeri always had a soft spot for kids as she herself was the oldest of four children. The fact that she had the least amount of responsibilities didn't hurt her enthusiasm either. It gave her more time to plan out how she was going to cheekily get back at her adoptive mother by teaching her spawn all of the ways to get on her last nerve.

As for Seulgi, it was a much slower adjustment, but she was taking it all one day at a time. She was still unsure of herself when it came to certain tasks that required a more confident hand. That said, she was making leaps and bounds in such matters. The more she practiced, the better she got and if there was one thing Kang Seulgi could do, it was practice her way to near perfection.

While she watched Yeri continue to blow up a few more balloons, Sooyun gnawed on her rubber ball with intrigued eyes. She was trying to wrap her brain around the logic of it all, shaking her fists and forming an 'o' shape with her mouth in wonder and excitement. The little blue ball she had been playing with flew out of her hands and rolled across the floor, tapping Seulgi's feet before coming to a stop. The alpha turned in surprise, spotting the toy beside her. Her son looked around as well while drooling on his fist from his place attached to his sire's front thanks to Irene's sling carrier she had borrowed. However, Rowoon didn't care much about his sister's ball. He was more interested in feeding his boredom by feeding his stomach.

Seulgi suddenly gasped in surprise and looked down to find her young pup gumming at her breast through the material of her tee shirt. He looked up at her expectantly, as if he was asking why no milk was coming out. Seulgi chuckled and supported his back through the bottom of the sling while she bent down to pick up Sooyun's ball, wiping it off before returning it, and carried on her way into the kitchen to fetch him a fresh bottle.

For a moment, she paused with her hand on the refrigerator door handle; staring at the collection of photos attached to the stainless steel surface. An aesthetic photo she had taken of Irene a few days after the pups were born with the sun beaming in through the hospital window behind her and Rowoon made her smile. She eventually opened the door with a firm yank and reached into the refrigerator to retrieve a bottle from the stash Irene had prepared before leaving, giving it a firm shake on her way over to the bottle warmer placed (ironically) beside the coffee maker. Baby Rowoon wasn't a picky eater whatsoever. Unlike his sisters, he had no preference between formula and the real deal, but he was quite sensitive when it came to the temperature of whatever he would be eating. His bottled meals had to be warmed to the point where they seemed like they were coming straight from the source so Seulgi made sure to do just that. 

While they waited for Rowoon's lunch to warm up, she felt a pair of tiny hands patting her chest again. Impatient little whines from the baby foodie hanging in the sling made Seulgi chuckle and look down. She held out a finger for him to take in hopes of directing his short attention span away from food for the time being.

"Sorry, bub. Those wells are dry." Her method had proved to be at least somewhat effective. Rowoon opened his mouth and began sucking on his sire's finger, coating it in a layer of baby spittle. She continued to look down at him with a somewhat disheartened smile. She wanted to say more to him, but what? She never had a knack for small talk - especially with someone who couldn't even speak or understand what she was saying. She envied the others for being able to give what sounded like full inspirational speeches to their pups, whether it be in public or at home. She wished she could be so shameless. 

A small ding from the timer let her know her son's bottle was at the optimal temperature. She gave it another nutrient-stirring shake for good measure before guiding the rubber nipple to the infant's eager mouth. He made a pleased crooning sound as his little monolid eyes drooped in contempt while he pulled the white substance from its container. Meanwhile, Seulgi peeked around the corner to watch Yeri and Joy put on a little act of surprise while bopping Sooyun gently over the head with a balloon while Wendy tended to Hyunhui, singing softly to her under her breath. 

Seulgi's attention returned to her little cub, looking up at her with sleepy eyes while continuing to feed himself quietly. "You know I love you, right?" She inquired in a hushed tone, changing the angle of the bottle in her hand. The baby gurgled and contorted his face as his way of telling her he was finished. Seulgi pulled the bottle away and set aside, though there was still a good amount of Irene's breast milk left inside. Noticing the uncomfortable look on Rowoon's face due to an air bubble stuck in his belly, she carefully lifted her baby boy out of the sling and rested him on her shoulder. Before she could reach for a towel, a warm, wet sensation trickled down the back of her shoulder. She released a light chuckle in defeat and gave Rowoon's back a few finishing pats. "Just couldn't wait, could you, bub?" A loud burp was all she got for an answer. 

With the bubble now free from his full tummy, Rowoon clenched the material of Seulgi's shirt in his little fists and, with his head resting on his Mama Bear's shoulder, began to fall asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, Seulgi continued rubbing his back, neglecting the fresh spit-up running down her back.

Wendy eventually wandered in to check on her cake, flashing the sire-son couple an endearing smile. It didn't take her very long to notice the little puddle of baby barf on the floor behind her friend. "Uh oh," She chuckled quietly on her way to the oven. "Did someone have an accident?"

"Yeah, I'll clean it up in a minute." While waving her hands over the warm, chocolaty concoction she had baked, Wendy flashed Seulgi a soft smile over her shoulder and watched her sway slightly in place. It was a rare sight; seeing such a tender moment between Rowoon and his Mama. Seulgi had always been so hesitant around handling him and instead kept her distance for the most part under the impression that she would only mess something up otherwise. Now that Irene had taken a brief leave of absence, it had forced Seulgi out of that shell and made her more comfortable with her son. Watching that major growth spurt pan out right before her eyes was irreplaceable for Wendy and surely for Rowoon as well. 

"She'll be here in ten minutes! Time for the finishing touches!" Yeri's shout snapped both Wendy and Seulgi out of their own little worlds and worked them into high gear. While Wendy hurriedly yet carefully centered the topper on the cake, Seulgi rushed to lay sleeping Rowoon down in the nursery just long enough for her to change clothes. In the meantime, the maknae line collected the other two babies in their arms and picked up whatever bits of trash remained that could potentially put a little damper on all of their hard work. "Okay, pups fed and changed, sign up, balloons out, what are we missing?" Yeri asked, looking down at her fingers she had used for counting while scratching her head in thought.

"The cake?" Wendy chuckled, walking in and setting the 'welcome home' sweet down on the table. Yeri's hands met in a loud clap.

"That's it! Alright, where are the bears?" 

"Here," Seulgi answered while tugging down the hem of her clean shirt. "Woonie's sleeping though. Should we bring him out?"

"Yeah, why not?" Joy said with a smile. "I'm sure he missed her too." While Seulgi went to fetch the sleeping boy of the house, the others stood around and made light conversation, playing with the girls until Irene arrived. Upon hearing a car door slam shut, they adjusted themselves to look somewhat presentable. Wendy quickly licked her finger and worked to wipe away a mark on Hyunhui's cheek just as Irene walked through the door.

"Welcome home!" The raven appeared to be taken aback by the sudden chorus of voices, but her frightened expression was soon replaced by a warm smile at the sight of her family standing in the living room. 

"What's all of this?" She inquired, taking a look at the pretty decorations while opening her arm to accept Yeri's oncoming hug. 

"We wanted to surprise you." Joy said with a smile.

Irene's gaze slowly landed on Yeri's hopeful, smiley face. "Do you like it?" Although she was thinking she would love anything they did - even if she walked in to find them all going about their daily lives, the emotionally reserved and chic side of Irene served as a filter for her words. 

"It's lovely, thank you." 

Though she maintained her warm smile, Wendy's eyes scanned her girlfriend's petite frame. It was clear she had lost a considerable amount of weight since she had left three weeks ago. It was alarming. Granted, Wendy would love her at any size, but she of all people knew it wasn't healthy for the numbers on a scale to fluctuate so quickly. Now that they were no longer in the lime light and constantly under a microscope, open for criticism, there was no reason for Irene to strive for and maintain a twig-like figure. However, she figured now was not the time to address such matters.

"So, how was everything? Any updates?" Wendy inquired as Joy walked across the room to assist the omega with her things. 

Irene tossed her purse and house keys onto the couch and shed her coat with a little help from Joy. "The doctor said I shouldn't nurse for a few days since there's still some meds in my system, but I'll be fine." Having smelled and heard their Eomma's presence, the triplets babbled and squealed in excitement - even Rowoon who had been awakened from his nap by all of the ruckus. Irene flashed them a motherly smile and walked over, bending down to their level and chuckling as the pups tried to outperform one another for her attention. She managed to give the entire litter some form of acknowledgement at once; two hands resting on little stomachs while she pressed a kiss to each tiny head from Rowoon down to Hyunhui. "Were they on their best behavior for you?" She asked with a playful smile directed up towards her lover. 

"A few projectile vomit incidents and fussy feeding times, but otherwise they were little angels." Irene appeared to be happy to hear such news, playing with her eldest child's feet and smiling at the way she giggled. 

"Who's ready for some cake?" Yeri declared, striking a pumped-up pose.

"You guys go ahead." Wendy flashed her girlfriend a concerned glance while the others sauntered off into the kitchen. 

"Do you not want any, unnie?"

"I do," Irene assured her with a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "I'm just a little... uncomfortable." She said while gesturing towards her chest. 

"O-oh! Right," Wendy chuckled awkwardly, realizing it had been a while since she had been able to relieve that pressure and it must have been somewhat painful to endure it much longer. With the drugs in her system, it would be too hazardous for her to breastfeed the pups directly, so she would need to pump and dump whatever she made until her system was cleared. "Go do what you need to do. I'll save you a piece." Wendy was pleasantly surprised by a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and a familiar scent filling her lungs despite the fullness of Irene's surely achy breasts. 

"I missed you." The blonde beta smiled and was quick to reciprocate the hug. She had missed being able to hold Irene practically any time she wanted. Having her here now after several weeks without her made Wendy appreciate her presence all the more.

"I missed you too." A soft snort prompted Wendy to open her eyes again.

"Don't you mean, 'I missed you squared?'" Wendy laughed, letting her hands slide down Irene's arms to hold her hands and pressed a chaste kiss to the older woman's forehead.

"I missed you squared." Irene closed her eyes and let out a little sigh of contempt. However, she opened them again and quirked a cheeky brow at the way Wendy's hands were exploring her shape. They give her butt a curious squeeze then retreated up her back shortly after. 

"I guess you missed me more than I thought." She teased. 

"It's not that," The beta murmured in a tone low enough to where the others couldn't overhear. "I'm a little worried about your weight, Hyunnie. Were you not eating well at the hospital?"

"Not really, postpartum will do that to you." Irene responded in slight confusion, pulling away from the hug with a hand to her lover's chest. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"No, not at all!" Wendy said in defense. "I just want you to be healthy, that's all."

"Well, now that my stitches are mended and my baby brain's back to normal, I do plan on getting back to the gym again." She admitted while looking down at the slight bit of pudge still softening her abdomen. Wendy looked at is as well, but with a sweet smile.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

"Fine. I just want to get my old body back before..." Her words ended rather abruptly making Wendy tilt her head in confusion.

"Before what?" Irene's ears went red with embarrassment. When an answer didn't come immediately, Wendy bent to maintain eye contact as Irene turned her head away. The gesture managed to elicit a tiny crack of a giggle, but not enough to make her forget about the prior break in conversation. 

With a deep sigh, Irene relented. "Before we get intimate again."

"Oh," Now that she had stopped to think about it, the last time they had sex was the night before they left for the train station. In all honesty, Wendy had completely forgotten about the physical aspects of a relationship despite her higher libido. However, now that she had been reminded, she was craving not only Irene's presence, but her body as well - not that she would ever mention it. Especially after the emotional whirlwind Irene had just been propelled out of. "Unnie, you don't have to do all of that just to please me. I love you as you are - that's not going to change." 

"But I want to." In truth, Irene also wanted to feel confident and comfortable in the bedroom. Right now, the changes her body had undergone during her pregnancy made her feel anything but. She wanted to look nice for her lover, but she also wanted to look and _feel_ nice for herself as well.

"Well, if that's what you wanna do, then I won't be the one to stop you." Irene showed her a thankful smile and kissed her cheek. 

"I'm gonna go pump," She said, swinging Wendy's hand for a moment longer before letting go. "Make sure the others aren't inhaling your cake." She added with a light chuckle before turning around and disappearing into the nursery. Wendy watched her leave with a fond smile before turning to face the kitchen once the door had closed. However, her puppy-love expression quickly faded to a frown.

"Ya! Save some for us! What are you, a pack of wild animals?"

* * *

That night, Wendy found herself sitting in bed, staring at the golden-toned light leaking in from underneath the bathroom door. Soft sounds of the shower running as well as an unfamiliar pop melody playing through the speaker of Irene's phone broke what would otherwise be complete and utter silence. There was an all too familiar discomfort in her sleep shorts that would never get the attention it craved - at least not until she was sure she could take care of it in insured privacy. Instead, she reached for a nearby pillow and placed it on her lap to hide her unwanted boner. 

Despite her sweet and semi-awkward impression, Wendy had a pretty high sex drive and holding out through nearly eleven months of celibacy was making her want it even more. She never brought it up, though. She didn't want to risk pressuring Irene into doing something she didn't feel ready to do. Wendy figured Irene would come to her when she was ready, and by the looks of things, it seemed that day would be coming soon. 

She failed to notice the sounds of running water turning off. The only thing that snapped her out of her daze was the light coming in from the bathroom between Irene's bedroom and hers increasing as the door swung opened. "Bathroom's all yours, babe." She chirped. However, Wendy made no moves to get up. Instead, her eyes followed a damp and towel-clad Irene from the bathroom to the desk where her sleeping attire had been neatly folded. Wendy couldn't pull her eyes away from her lover's pale, spotless shoulders on full display. A part of her hated that white towel for hiding Irene's other asses from her view, but another felt like a pervert for thinking such explicit things. She just couldn't help herself. She was hungry for Irene. 

While the raven's back was turned, she slipped out of bed and quickly scampered into the steamy bathroom before Irene could notice her arousal. Once the door was closed, she released a soft sigh and looked down at the tell-tale bulge in her red boxer briefs. This looked like a situation where thinking about naked grandpas wouldn't do her much good. With an ache of guilt in her chest, she reached through the shower curtain and turned on the water, pulling her shirt over her head and her underwear down to her ankles. Her hardened length caught on the waistband and bobbed as if bowing to her in greeting. At this point, she had two options; take care of business now or try to sleep it off and risk poking Irene with it.

She chose the former.

Moaning a little at the warm sensation of the water against her skin, Wendy reached down between her legs and gave her cock a little test tug. A low moan reverberated at an amplified volume thanks to the poor acoustics of the room making her clap a hand over her mouth in surprise. Apparently she was more on-edge than she thought.

Her eyes screwed shut as her hand continued to pleasure herself. Up and down her rod it went with a gentle squeeze here or there. In the meantime, her thoughts only belonged to Irene - the woman located only a few short meters away, just on the other side of that door. She could still smell the shower's previous occupant's warm vanilla and rose fragrance only adding to Wendy's arousal. With a whimper, the speed of her strokes began to pick up. The alluring scent of her lover coupled with her vague memories of what Irene's moans sounded like played in her mind like an audio book, pulling her closer and closer to the shores of sweet release. 

"Uhn unnie..." In her ecstasy and temporary blindness, she failed to hear the door squeak open and the shower curtain shift slightly on the railing overhead. Instead, she let her head fall back against the shower wall with quiet moans of her partner's name bouncing off of the beige tiles. Her lazy eyes peaked open only to find the subject of her fantasies standing equally as naked right in front of her.

"U-Unnie!?" She yelped in alarm, backing herself into the wall. "I-I'm sorry! I-"

"It's okay," Irene softly assured her. "You look like you could use a hand." As she came closer and stood under the stream of warm water with her face hidden from view due to its placement beside Wendy's ear, the poor beta's face turned so red a tomato would be envious. The presence of the goddess' warm breath against her ear and her hand trailing down her wet abdomen made Wendy's knees weak. She gasped and groaned a little when that same hand cradled her family jewels, giving them a light squeeze. 

"I-" Her own surprised gasp cut her sentence short. Using the spunk that had leaked from Wendy's weeping tip as lubricant, Irene's hand glided up and down the length of her member at a leisurely pace, occasionally swiping her thumb over the purple head of it. Wendy whined and melted into the cool tile of the wall behind her.

"Just relax." Irene whispered in a hushed tone that sent shivers down Wendy's spine. Her nostrils flared and her eyes screwed shut once more as she was stroked nearer to orgasm. Her hips began to buck up into Irene's hand making the latter sigh against her ear in appreciation and that was all it took to push Wendy over the edge.

"Uh-unnie I'm... c-oming." Thick spurts of white come erupted from her loins and coated Irene's hand in her warm spunk, most of it washing down the shower drain with the water. While Wendy reveled in her orgasmic haze, Irene used the stream of clean water coming from the shower head to rinse her hand.

The older flashed her panting lover a warm smile. "Feel better?" 

"Yeah," She wheezed. "Thanks." As Irene climbed out of the tub, she quickly wrapped herself back up in her towel to shield her naked form from her lover's eyes. Wendy watched her pad back out into the bedroom and sighed, carefully trying to stand up on her unstable legs only to waver slightly thus managing a surprised chuckle. Thoughts of her parents' burning questions on her blossoming relationship with Irene as well as their concerns with their sexual chemistry - what with Irene being the less sexually driven of the duo - made Wendy smile.

There was no doubt about it; that woman was a keeper.


	40. XL

The moment Seulgi walked into the kitchen, Joy knew she was a goner.

She just wanted to enjoy her Ramyeon in peace, but no. Seulgi just _had_ to strut around looking all confident wearing that stupid crop top with that stupid pair of grey sweatpants that did things to her heart rate. The duality of the older woman was just painful at times. For the most part, Joy saw her as an adorable, dumb bear. But then again, those moments were easily washed out by the times where her jaw nearly struck the floor because of her. It didn't help that Seulgi didn't see her as someone to be presentable around. She thought that, as fellow alphas, they should be comfortable around one another which explained why there was an obvious tent pitched in Seulgi's sweatpants that she had made no efforts to adjust.

Joy acted unbothered, slurping her noodles quietly to herself while trying her best not to gawk at the eye candy standing in front of the microwave just a few feet away. The temptation was just too much. Joy glanced up through her lashes and felt her body heat up at the sight of washboard abs now on full display thanks to Seulgi's comfy choice in clothing and the fact that she had raised her toned arms to fiddle with the buttons on the machine. Something about the girl's oblivious and somewhat aloof nature only made Joy fall for her that much harder. And speaking of harder...

_Well. Time to go cool off._

Without a word, she picked up her bowl and headed over to the sink - thankfully on the opposite side of the kitchen from where Seulgi stood. The older turned to spare her a glance, but inevitably returned her attention to her dinner spinning around in the microwave. As Joy was about to walk out, Seulgi decided to call after her.

"Hey," Joy tensed in place but put on a friendly smile, turning back towards her unnie. "Wanna watch a movie with me later?" She inquired while retrieving her warm bowl of leftovers from the microwave. 

"Uhh," Joy murmured as her eyes subconsciously drifted down to the shorter alpha's crotch before she managed to catch herself. "Uh, yeah. Sure." Seulgi flashed her a tight-lipped smile while stirring her food as Joy turned to walk away with her fists balled at her sides. Why did she say yes? At this point, she was practically _trying_ to set herself up for humiliation. Out of all of her members, Seulgi was the last person she wanted to know about her sexuality. Seulgi saw her as a comrade who understood what it was like being an alpha. She had spilled all of her secret urges to Joy when it came to the struggles of living with a breedy omega in such close quarters and Joy had tried her best to play along. Meanwhile, she couldn't understand why she wasn't having the same experiences Seulgi was. After all, she was an alpha too, right? It's supposed to be in her nature. Shouldn't she be lusting over omegas too?

If only she had known then what she knew now.

As she wandered towards Wendy's room, a few unusual noises caught her attention. From the sounds of things, it appeared that either Irene or Wendy was taking a shower before bed which, under normal circumstances, wouldn't have been a big deal. However, through the white noise of the shower head running, she could make out a soft moan - a moan she knew for a fact did not belong to Irene. 

_So Seungwannie's feeling a little hot and bothered too. Well, at least I'm not alone there._

She pressed her ear up against the wooden door and curiously listened in on what was taking place on the other side. Tuning her hearing to pick up on the sounds, she could scarcely make out Irene's soft whispers as well and chuckled softly to herself. If anyone was getting some action that night, she was glad it was them because heaven knows it wouldn't be her. Her fifth limb decided it liked what it was hearing and throbbed obnoxiously in her pants.

_Maybe just a peek..._

As she was reaching for the door handle, she was suddenly grabbed by her shoulders and slammed against the nearby wall a bit rougher than Seulgi intended.

"Don't go in there! What, are you crazy!?" Joy swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded in understanding, though her mind was on anything but the situation at hand. It had gone straight down into the gutter along with her dignity. Being handled so aggressively shouldn't have effected her as much as it did, yet there she was; pressed up against a wall with an attractive alpha mere inches away.

The prime's eyes squinted in confusion at the odd sensation of something stiff nudging her leg. Curious, she looked down and was surprised to find a sizable swell that had made itself known through the front of Joy's pants. "Sooyoung-ah..." Joy closed her eyes and pursed her lips, knowing what was coming and trying to keep some sense of composure. "Are you..." Seulgi paused to collect her thoughts. "Are you... _turned on_ right now?" Joy bit her lip to keep herself from crying out of sheer humiliation. She was so ashamed of herself; ashamed of being attracted to people like her, people like Seulgi. As if it wasn't already taboo enough, she was attracted to _female_ alphas. She must have made Seulgi feel so uncomfortable; standing there with a full-on boner she had unknowingly caused poking her in the thigh. She felt like such a freak.

Having noticing the younger's state of distress though not quite understanding the cause of it, Seulgi tried her best to comfort her. "Hey! Hey! It's okay! It's normal to feel that way! I get that it's not easy being around an omega when you're about to go into ru-"

"That's not..." Joy looked down at her feet and sighed. She was too embarrassed to admit it to Seulgi; not now, and probably not ever. Surely she would think she was some sort of pervert for letting her be comfortable around her without saying anything. She had a crush on Seulgi, that much was crystal clear, but the healthy state of their friendship mattered so much more to her. "Please, just let me go." However, Seulgi did no such thing. Instead, she continued to stare deeply into the depths of Joy's soul, trying to piece together the answer she desired.

Seulgi was no good at playing mind games. She preferred things to be delivered to her clearly and up-front. However, Joy had given her quite the puzzle to assemble and it was giving her slow little brain a migraine. She just wanted to know what was going on so she could apologize or help fix it and skip all of the dramatics leading up to it. Of course, things never quite worked out that way; especially with Joy. The realm of human emotion was far more abstract than Seulgi could even begin to fathom, but Joy seemed to feel right at home there. While she may have come across as intimidating and somewhat arrogant at times, she could read the mysteries of the cosmos like a book. She always spoke about the world in such a colorful way, especially when it came to matters of the heart. Joy was in love with love. Whenever they would watch romantic movies together or as a group, she would comment on how she wanted her future mate to do such sappy and cliche things with her. Seulgi recalled watching a high school love story with her where the female protagonist's delinquent love interest pressed her up against a wall - a common trope in various dramas and the like. While Seulgi cringed a little at the awkwardness of the gesture, Joy went on to say how being in such close proximity with someone she had romantic interest in would have made her heart flutter.

A sudden shiver slithered up Seulgi's spine as a thought dawned upon her. 

Curious to see if her sneaking suspicion was correct, Seulgi's hands rested against the surface of the wall behind Joy on either side of her head, effectively boxing her in in the same way she had seen it done in so many dramas. Joy immediately went weak in the knees and slid down the wall a bit, turning her head away with her eyes still clenched shut. She was too ashamed to look at the woman she had been pining over, though nothing could hide the flustered blush dusting her ears and cheeks.

Seulgi may have been a bit dense, but there was no denying the meaning behind such a blatant reaction. Her heart beat pounded in her ears as she slowly realized that what was happening to her dongsaeng was happening only because of her. "Y-you're... Do you maybe... _like me,_ or..." For a moment, Joy gazed up at her unnie with swimming, desperate, and apologetic eyes before hiding her face in her hands. She wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor. Unsure of what she should say or do, Seulgi simply stood quietly at a distance she deemed safe. Her monolid eyes bled nothing but sympathy for the poor girl, but there was a hint of fear there as well. Joy couldn't change the way she was, but on the same token, Seulgi couldn't either. She couldn't risk breaking another member's heart - not after neglecting Irene in their relationship. She had already convinced herself that wouldn't be good enough for someone as sweet and sensitive as Joy anyway. The young alpha needed someone who could shower her in all of the attention she desired and accept her for who she was. At this point, Seulgi felt that she deserved to die lonely.

She was well aware that her personal needs in a partnership were non-conventional and would need to be met in an odd and rather taboo fashion. She had already learned to accept that right along with her equally strange take on sex. Believe it or not, buried beneath her soft bear persona, Seulgi was probably the most sexually driven member of the group. She just had a good sense of when and where it would be appropriate to let that show through. There were many issues in regards to her past relationship, but one of the biggest faults they always seemed to debate over was their difference in sexual appetite. Irene was curious in bed and was usually willing to explore all of Seulgi's odd kinks which was seemingly a match made in heaven. However, she was hardly ever in the mood unless she was in heat which made intimacy something to be desired on Seulgi's end. Hopefully Joy had the libido that could match her own.

Seulgi's blood ran cold as she realized what such a suggestive thought could have implied. It was enough to snap her back into reality where she belonged. Her widened eyes slowly flicked back down to Joy who was still trembling in fear and slight arousal. Maybe she did have some underlying interest in Joy. 

She figured there was only one sure-fire way to find out.

Joy looked up at the older alpha with worried eyes, though there was nothing about Seulgi's presence that seemed worthy of concern. An elegant pair of monolid eyes pierced straight into Joy's soul like daggers to a dart board. "Do you trust me?" The raven nodded, but her pending question turned into a surprised squeak as Seulgi's pouty lips suddenly caressed her own. Joy's eyes - widened in alarm - slowly fluttered closed under the influence of oxytocin. At the pleading slip of a tongue across her lower lip, she opened her mouth just enough for Seulgi's muscle to slip inside and mingle with her own. Joy had only ever French kissed once before in her life so her technique was understandably flawed, but Seulgi didn't seem to mind. Instead, she did what she did best and went with the flow, however sloppy it may have been. The hand that wasn't pressed against the wall sneaked down to rest on the curve of Joy's waist as she remorsefully ended the kiss with a wet smack. 

The duo took a moment to catch their breath while the rusty old gears in Seulgi's head began to turn. There was no doubt about it; she was at least attracted to Joy on a sexual level. Perhaps with some further exploration, she could find out if those feelings went any deeper than that and if they were somehow reciprocated. 

Upon hearing the water in Wendy and Irene's conjoined bathroom turn off, Seulgi hurriedly grabbed Joy by the wrist and dragged her through the living room. The latter stumbled along behind her, still a bit shell-shocked after what had just happened. She found herself slung into Seulgi's bedroom, landing softly on the bed while Seulgi turned to lock the door behind them as though this was the apocalypse and her room was some sort of an underground bunker. Finally, she turned to look at the younger with a shimmer of fearful intrigue in her eyes. It was a curious look; one that almost made Joy moan on the spot. 

Seulgi slowly walked closer, coming to a stop right in front of the raven who looked up at her as if waiting for her to say something, though really, she was simply trying to keep her eyes away from the dancer's delectable abdomen. "Well?" Seulgi inquired, receiving a confused shrug from Joy.

"Well what?"

"How are you feeling?"

Joy pursed her lips and looked down at the mast poking an unmissable tent in the front of her sweatpants. Slowly, her attention returned to her host; gazing at her with a deadpan look in her eye while gesturing towards her crotch. "Isn't it obvious?" Seulgi sighed and rubbed the nape of her neck, her eyes roaming the room. While she was distracted, Joy spared a curious glance down at the prime's pants and gulped. She didn't appear to be much better off herself. 

Finally, Seulgi managed to speak. "I can't promise you much, but I'm willing to at least give it a try. Assuming you want to as well." It took her a moment to catch on to what Seulgi was trying to say, but when she did, her face gave away her surprise. She stared up at Seulgi with widened eyes. She appeared to be waiting for a response, confirmation, anything. 

"Um," Joy hummed, still taken aback by her new crush showing any sort of intimate interest in her. "Just... so we're clear," She began. "You mean like _sex_ , right?" Seulgi nodded. 

"Okay," She ran a hand through her raven hair while staring down at the floor in thought. "I guess I'm fine with that."

"Are you sure?" Joy gulped, shamefully turned on by such a seductive purr, and leaned back against the bed as Seulgi slowly made a move to hover over her like a tiger ready to dissect its prey. "Don't let my innocence fool you. I can get a bit raunchy." A stuttered breath escaped the younger's lungs at the close proximity of Seulgi's face and her neck. She recalled seeing Irene an absolute wreck after Seulgi was done with her. Granted, she had been forced into a rut back then, but if Irene's praises were any indication, Joy wanted a taste of that action. All the young alpha could manage was a meek hum of consent.

_This should be fun._

* * *

The following morning, Wendy and Irene woke up bright and early to get their darling daughter ready for their little family's eventful day ahead. After being so rudely awakened by her mother, their runt yawned and stretched her tiny body.

"Rise and shine." Irene crooned softly so as to not wake her other offspring. Meanwhile, her partner blushed and looked away to give them some privacy while she fed Hyunhui an early breakfast. Over the past few weeks, Irene had become a lot less prudish when it came to feeding her pups naturally. She still had enough sense to cover up with a blanket when they were out in public, but otherwise, it was at any viewer's discretion. The other residents had become used to rounding a corner and seeing Irene's boob out for all eyes to see, though at this point, they were practically numb to it. That is, everyone except for Seulgi. It's not to say that she minded it, she was just painfully awkward as always. 

While she struggled to come out of her sleepy haze, Hyunhui allowed herself to be passed from one parent's arms to the other's without a fuss and gazed at her sire with her big pair of smokey grey eyes. "Good morning, pumpkin," Wendy chirped while walking over to the change table, running a tentative hand over the child's head of thin, platinum hair. "Ready to meet grandma and grandpa today?" Of course, Hyunhui said nothing. She just continued to stare up at Wendy with those analytical but dreamy peepers while quietly gumming on her little fingers. It reminded her sire of the blank but captivating look belonging to another certain someone. The observation put a loving smile on Wendy's face.

She looked up from what she was doing long enough to admire her subject of interest who was too distracted with rearranging the blankets and stuffed animals occupying her infants' crib to notice she was under surveillance. One by one, Irene carefully picked up the toys -- careful not to disturb the pair of snoozing pups -- and wiped them down before placing them neatly back in the crib. Somehow, even though Irene wasn't interacting directly with the pups, seeing her put so much effort into keeping their space clean, cozy, and safe made Wendy's heart beat faster. It just showed how much she truly cared about the safety and wellbeing of the people she loved. Her subtle, behind-the-scenes approach to showing her affection put her previous public titles to death. Her infamous ice queen image could rot in the dirt for all Wendy cared. A part of her wanted the world to see this side of Irene, but another wanted to keep it a hidden treasure only available to those who truly deserved to see it.

Once her daughter had a clean diaper on and her footed onesie had been fastened, Wendy gently guided the baby's arms through the holes in her coat and pulled the hood over Hyunhui's tiny head. She couldn't help but giggle at how precious she looked with a pair of little pink bunny ears. Unable to control her urges, Wendy played with the adorable decorations, alternating between tweaking each ear back and forth.

"Awe! Look at mommy bunny's little kit!" Irene flashed them a warm smile over her shoulder and paused to watch the sweet exchange in its entirety. The omega in her was turned on by a partner who cared. It made her want to get clingy with Wendy as she had just unknowingly assured her that, as Irene's potential mate of choice, she was perfectly capable of raising good pups. This had painted Wendy out to be all the more desirable as a sire thus upping the competition with other breedy omegas - at least from a primal standpoint. As competitive as she was, Irene didn't want any sort of competition in matters of the heart. She was too jealous. Instead, she wanted Wendy to hurry up and stake her claim on her. She wanted to parade around wearing her lover's mark that would tell all other admirers to get lost. But first, before she had the right to get possessive over what was hers, their relationship had to receive the Son family's formal blessing which, hopefully, they would be receiving today. 

And so, the happy trio strolled down the sidewalk on the nicer side of town, gazing at the fancy window displays in front of jewelry shops and toy stores. Irene and Wendy watched a man climb up on a latter to hang a wreath on one of the streetlights before making his descent.

"I can't believe they're already setting up for Christmas," Wendy chuckled. "It'll only be Halloween next week." If Irene had heard her, she certainly didn't show it. She held on tightly to Wendy's arm and looked around, smiling at all of the pretty decorations. The beta noticed this and put on a smile of her own, but said nothing and instead focused on wheeling the stroller closer to their destination. 

When they reached the restaurant where Wendy's parents had asked them to meet, there was a small line forming at the entrance. The blonde shivered and rubbed her own arms, purring a little at the chill. Her girlfriend smiled and gave her arm a soothing rub while glancing around the quaint area of Seoul she was not yet acquainted with. However, the twinkle in her eyes dulled when she caught a well-dressed omega in a fur coat latched to whom Irene assumed to be her husband biting her lip and making eyes at Wendy. Irene glanced at her lover, happy to see her too distracted with fixing the sleeves of her coat to notice. She inched closer to her side and linked arms with Wendy, staring the other omega down. The over-dressed woman scoffed and lifted her chin in a dignified manner just as one of the hostesses came to usher them inside. 

As they continued patiently waiting, Wendy caught a phone in a rather questionable and awkward position. She was appalled to realize that the camera lens was peeking just underneath Irene's skirt, clearly trying to catch a few inappropriate photos of Irene's private parts. She quickly moved Irene to her other side and used her body as a sort of barrier, much to Irene's surprise, and scowled at the young man. 

"Delete those." The embarrassed teenager gulped and nodded, scrolling quickly through his phone. Once he deleted the photos, before he could tuck the devise back into his pocket, Wendy grabbed his wrist and checked to make sure he had done as he was told; even going so far as to demand he empty his deleted folder in case he should try to recover them. Meanwhile, Irene was confused -- and surprisingly aroused -- by her partner's behavior. When the little interrogation ended, she shot Wendy a questioning glance. The latter simply responded with a reassuring smile and kissed her temple, draping an arm protectively over her shoulders.

Finally, a hostess came to show them to their table. Suddenly, Irene began to feel quite anxious. She had met Wendy parents a hand full of times before, but never as her romantic partner. What if they didn't think she was a good match for Wendy or thought she was nothing more than a tramp? She wanted them to like her -- she _needed_ them to. After being disowned from her bongwan, the Sons were the only real branch of extended family Hyunhui had left. Sensing her partners worries, Wendy politely whispered over to her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Irene sighed, still hanging on Wendy's arm. "Just nervous."

"Don't be," Wendy said with an encouraging smile. "They already love you." That seemed to calm Irene's restlessness just a bit. As they approached one of the tables, Wendy's face lit up like strings of Christmas lights. Having noticed their presence, Mr. and Mrs. Son quickly stood to greet them.

"Oh, honey! It's so good to see you!" Wendy's mother said while wrapping her youngest daughter in a hug. 

"And the lovely miss Joohyun," Her husband said with a smile. "We've met before, but Seungwan-ah can't stop talking about you. It feels like we already know you." He added with a hardy chuckle.

"Appa!" Wendy whined in embarrassment, still wrapped up in her mother's arms. Right off the bat, Irene as already feeling more comfortable. Mrs. Son flashed Irene a smile as well, but was quickly distracted by the baby. She gasped and pressed a hand over her chest; bending down to see her. 

"Oh, she's beautiful! What's her name again?"

"Hyunhui." Wendy beamed proudly and pulled her lover closer to her side. 

"Oh, come! Sit down!" Mrs. Son insisted while finding a place to keep the stroller. As Wendy made a move to follow directions, she caught sight of an old woman already seated at the other end of the table.

"Hey! Grangran's here!"

"You bet your pruny petunias I am!" She cackled loudly. "What, ya think I lived this long just to miss seeing my second great grandchild!?" Her eyes, comically dramatized in size by the prescription in her glasses, caught sight of the pretty omega occupying the seat beside her.

"Wowza!" The sweet old woman exclaimed without a cent of shame, her willowy and wrinkled hand patting Irene's porcelain cheek. "You're a real looker, aren't ya? Are you a model? How much is she payin' ya?"

"Grangran!" Wendy said in a scolding tone making the old woman chuckle.

"Oh, hush! I'm just teasin!'" She sneered playfully. "Don't go gettin' yer hog in a huff!" The way Wendy slouched and pouted in her seat was endearing to say the least. It was rare to see Wendy interact with her family since they lived on the other side of the globe so Irene tried to get the most out of it while she could. "So you're a prime, eh? Lucky you! I see your body tightened right back up!" Wendy's grandma grabbed a bit of her own belly roll to show Irene. "See this here!? This is from that one!" She said, pointing an accusatory finger at her own daughter.

"Eomma, stop it! You'll scare her off!" 

"Hush, you! I have the right to mourn! I used to have a _great_ figure until you and your dunce of a brother came along!"

"Just ignore her. She's a bit of a loon." Mr. Son whispered into Irene's ear. However, Irene would do no such thing. While Wendy's family seemed to be embarrassed of her, Irene found the funny old woman's odd mannerisms and unusual way of speaking endearing. She would gladly listen to her over her own grandparents. All they ever wanted was for her to be some alpha's personal baby maker. At least Wendy's great grandma had a sense of humor about her. 

"Oh, how precious!" Mrs. Son cooed, reaching out to accept their child from Wendy. She smiled down at her tiny granddaughter, bouncing her gently on her lap. Having realized that neither of her parents were the ones holding her, she craned her neck to stare up at the stranger curiously. "Hello!"

The oldest member of the family took a good look at Hyunhui and grinned from ear to ear. "She's beautiful! You'll have to beat the boys away with sticks!"

"Mom, please!" 

"Whaaat!? It's true! Look at her mama! A face that perfect doesn't go unapprised!" Irene blushed and shyly fiddled with her hands in her lap.

"I don't think I've ever seen an Asian baby born with white hair and grey eyes," Mr. Son confessed with intrigue. "Is she an albino?"

"She just has a melanin deficiency, that's all." Wendy said with a proud smile, gazing at her daughter while she interacted with her new grandmother.

"You said they were triplets? Where are the others?"

"Hyui-ya is my child," Wendy explained while stirring her drink with her straw. "Sooyun-ah and Rowoon-ah are Sooyoung and Seulgi's pups. We figured you would want to meet her first."

"So!? They're all Joohyun's, aren't they?" The granny exclaimed in her crackling voice. "She's a Son now! Those kiddos are my great grandbabies too!" Her declaration warmed Irene's heart far more than she could ever know. She came into this situation so afraid that they would look down on her for having carried a litter by three different sires, but ever since they had arrived, they had only showered her in nothing but genuine acceptance. It was a lovely change of pace from what she had been used to. She welcomed such a change with open arms. 

"Maybe next time. Right now, there's something Hyunnie and I need to tell you." The couple locked eyes and Irene gave her beta partner a nod in agreement. 

"You're getting married!" Wendy's great grandma shouted in excitement, catching the attention of a few snooping tables nearby.

"Um, no," Wendy replied. "Well, at least not yet anyway," She reached over the table to lock fingers with Irene who made it a point to flash her a comforting smile and rub her thumbs over her partner's in a soothing gesture. "Actually, we've talked about it for a while now and we think it's a good time for us to mate. We were hoping to receive your bless-."

"Yes!" Granny shouted like it was a time trial, her overly exaggerated eyes widening even more behind her glasses. "Yes! Do it! Hurry, before she changes her mind!" 

"Eomma, stop it! This is serious!" Mrs. Son scolded her mother from across the table, but Irene was quick to softly defend her loyalty to Wendy.

"Rest assured, there's no need to worry. I'm not going anywhere." Wendy flashed her a sweet and thankful smile.

"Well, if you both love each other as much as you say you do, then you both have our blessing," Mr. Son said from his place beside Irene. "I won't break open the parenting handbook and remind you how big of a decision this is. You're both adults. If you know how to make a baby, then you should be mature enough to know what you're getting yourselves into with mating. Once you're in it, you're in it for life. Remember that it's not like a marriage where you can divorce and go your separate ways if things don't work out. Miss Joohyun's scent and heats will change only to attract you, Seungwan-ah, so I suggest you think long and hard on it beforehand. Not even your mother and I are mated."

"Only because we're both too skeptical for our own good," His wife chuckled. "They've known each other for almost eight years now. I think they'd know if it'll work out for them better than we would." 

"So what's the plan? Are you looking to go on a ritual or make it a one and done type of deal?" Wendy's father spoke while cleaning his glasses. The couple exchanged a few looks of uncertainty.

"I guess we haven't really thought about it."

"I think it'd be good for you to go the ritual route," The lovely Mrs. Son chimed in. "It'll give you two plenty of privacy, what with six other people living in that house. Mating is a once in a lifetime experience, after all. You should have your freedom to enjoy it."

"Not to mention she's a prime. It'll be tricky for you to tame her, bug," Mr. Son said directly to his daughter. "Betas don't have the same authority alphas do -- it is what it is. That's not to say that you can't get her omegan side to submit, but I think it'll be more of a challenge than you realize." Irene glanced over at Wendy with an apologetic look. Truthfully, there was nothing she could do to help her in that situation but she felt sorry nonetheless. In that moment, she would be submerged completely into pure omegan instinct -- further than she had ever been before or ever would be again. The pressure was all on Wendy to be assertive and show Irene's inner omega that she was the alpha; overcome her squeamishness when it came to being rough in bed and display some sense of dominance. Only then would she be allowed to mate an omega -- a prime, no less. 

Historically, alpha/omega couples would be sent off for seven days to perform a 'ritual' that would determine whether or not a duo was compatible. During which, the omega partner would need to be triggered into a head space only obtainable through complete sexual submission and orgasm. If they succeeded, the alpha was deemed a worthy mate and would have the opportunity to mark his territory with a distinct bite to the omega's scent gland. If not, it brought more shame upon the omega and her bongwan than it ever would the alpha -- wrongfully so. If the alpha wasn't capable of making the omega submit or if the alpha simply didn't like the partner he had been given, the omega would be cast out -- often without clothes -- back to her bongwan so that she could not hide her failure. This became known as the walk of shame.

Of course, things were a lot different in the modern world in regards to how a mating ritual was treated. Essentially, it was seen as a glorified honeymoon only less about romance and more about sexual passion and long-term commitment. It was a way for couples, regardless of race, gender, social class, or dynamic -- so long as an omega was involved -- to make their union permanent and celebrate through sex without having to worry about any outside distractions. Usually couples would get married first before deciding to mate, but Irene and Wendy already knew each other like the backs of their own hands. Neither of them were shy about spending the rest of their lives linked to one another. Even after death, once mated, a widow or widower would never be able to take another mate which was why Mr. Son had been so adamant on insuring both girls had thought long and hard about making such a life-changing decision. 

"I advise you to use protection, unless you want to pop out another litter after all of this is said and done."

"I wouldn't be opposed to that," The old woman giggled while fiddling with the spare change sitting at the bottom of her purse. "The more the merrier -- that's what I always say. Yes indeedy."

"But perhaps miss Joohyun here isn't quite ready for that, right Eomma?" Wendy's great grandmother muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

"Hopefully in the future, but not any time soon," Irene replied politely with an airy little chuckle. "I can hardly handle the three I have now."

"Well, we think you're doing a stand-up job." Mr. Son said with a friendly eye-smile while cutting into his steak.

"The older generation likes to glorify the ability to carry big litters, but they neglect the dangers and stress that come along with it. It's such an outdated way of thinking; prioritizing your own legacy over the health and wellbeing of another human being. I understand you come from a family who unfortunately thinks this way, but just know that we will never pressure you into having more pups if that isn't something you want. Except for maybe Grangran, of course."

The leathery old woman either failed to hear her daughter's words or simply ignored them while she weakly blew on her pea soup. A few tiny cries caught the attention of the other four people present at the table. Irene could feel her breasts grow heavy at just the sound of them. Having been on her best behavior sitting quietly in the comfort of her stroller, baby Hyunhui had decided to pipe up now that she was ready to have her lunch as well. Mrs. Son retrieved the crying infant and carefully passed her over to her daughter who then handed her over to Irene.

"That's a hungry cry," Wendy said to her mother, watching as Irene wriggled a finger in front of the child for her to suck on until she found a safe place to nurse.

The prime glanced up with an apologetic look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't think she would be hungry again so soon." 

"It's alright, dear. Feel free to feed her here if you want. It's probably for the best anyway since you ought to be relaxed. Besides, it's nothing any of us haven't seen before." They passed her the blanket that had been tucked into the storage compartment on the stroller. Irene accepted it, but looked around with uncertainty. 

"Are you sure? I don't want to be rude..."

"Nature isn't rude, my dear. At least not for us." The prime looked to Wendy for further agreement which earned her a quiet nod of approval. Not having the resolve to sit there with sore, leaking breasts and a crying baby any longer, she draped the blanket over her chest and helped Hyunhui latch. While the tiny baby ate, a curious old hand reached over and gently squeezed Irene's free breast making her gasp a little in surprise. "Eomma!"

"Grangran!"

"Whaaaat!? They're nice is all!"

* * *

That night, Irene and Wendy spent most of the evening on an impromptu date to a live piano showcase the Sons had invited them to attend. While it was nice to get dressed up and listen to the pianists' fingers type out lovely melodies, they were more than ready to go home and turn in for the night. However, Irene's unusual handsy-ness had not gone unnoticed by Wendy. All throughout the showcase, at least one of the woman's hands had to maintain contact with her at all times; her arm, her shoulder, her thigh, anywhere it could rest comfortably, there it sat.

Back at the house, Wendy smiled cheekily to herself in thought. "You've been really touchy today," She chuckled while looking down at the nimble fingers fiddling with the collar of her white dress shirt. "What's the occasion?"

The omega's pale cheeks turned a dainty shade of pink. "You kind of turned me on back at the restaurant."

"Did I, now?" Wendy smirked while biting her lower lip suggestively. Her arms wrapped around her partner's slender waist and pulled her in closer, thus forcing Irene to move her hands so they were now resting on her chest. "Want me to kiss it better?" Realizing where this was headed, Irene cleared her throat and gently pushed Wendy away, opting instead to tug the sleeves of her partner's shirt down her arms and dust off her shoulders -- unnecessarily so. Wendy was feeling pretty embarrassed after getting shot down and looked at her in confusion, but spoke nothing of it for the time being.

"I'm gonna go put the kids to bed," The slightly taller raven murmured quietly with a voice that rang of suppressed emotion. "Don't wait up." She gave her a quick peck on the lips before turning to leave and Wendy simply didn't have the words to call after her. 

About an hour later, Irene inevitably returned to Wendy's bedroom. She wandered in and let out a mighty yawn, the two pieces of refrigerated lettuce she had placed over her sore teats peeking out of her shirt. "I told you not to wait up." She said upon noticing Wendy seated on the bed and as wide awake as she was when she left. Wendy pursed her lips and quietly watched her partner fish out the leafy nipple soothers and throw them into the trashcan beside her wardrobe.

"Was it something I said?" The beta inquired with a worried curve to her brows while she watched Irene meander her way around to her designated side of the bed. "If it was, I'm really sorry, Hyunnie." Irene quietly sat on the edge of the bed with her back facing Wendy for a brief moment while she worked on tying her hair up in a bun. Wendy gazed at the nape of her neck and pressed a sorry but playful kiss to the area. Feeling a bit frisky with Irene's earlier confession fresh in her mind, a hand slowly traveled up towards Irene's right breast before it was subtly brushed away and the woman was back on her feet. There was no explanation that came with her reaction. Because of this, Wendy was forced to assume that she just wasn't in the mood by default, which was fine, but Irene was usually very vocal about where her sex drive was positioned on the bell curve at any given moment. This made her silence particularly odd. Wendy figured she should take a more direct approach. "Unnie?" 

"Hm?" Irene hummed while perfecting her hair style in the mirror and reaching for a specific lotion she had kept on Wendy's vanity. 

"Do you _want_ to have sex tonight?" Irene's hands paused their circular motions over her bare face as if caught off guard by such an inquiry. In truth, she was still insecure with the state her body was in currently, but she wasn't necessarily opposed to intimacy. 

"We can," She replied, quickly resuming her nightly skincare routine. "Why? Do you?"

"Sort of..." Once she was finished with her lotion ritual, Irene made her way back over to the bed while fiddling with the buttons on her shirt that she had stolen from Wendy's closet. She took a seat beside her lover and cradled her jaw with a hand, planting a kiss on her lips before pulling away and finishing with the long line of buttons. Wendy watched her get up and turn off the lights. Now, the only thing that was visible in the room was the nightlight peeking in from the bathroom.

"I can't see you." Wendy pouted, reaching her arms out in hopes of detecting her partner's whereabouts.

"That's kind of the point," As the beta was about to rebuttal, a pair of familiar lips returned to mingle with her own. Soft, dainty hands grabbed hers and brought them up to rest on her shapely hips. "You can still feel me though, right?" Sure she could, but still; something wasn't right and Wendy was determined to figure out whatever it was that had prompted Irene to hide her beautiful body away from her. She quietly slipped away and turned on the lamp beside her bed. Irene looked astonished to say the least.

Brown eyes drank up the vision of Irene's naked form. Granted, she wasn't as stick-thin and slim as she was before, but by no means was she overweight as she had constantly claimed to be. She looked healthier which was always a plus by Wendy's standards. Thanks to her prime genetics, Irene's breasts remained just as perky as they were before the birth of the pups only fuller with darker peaks due to their need to perform their primary function. Her eyes continued on their journey down Irene's body and paused when they reached the crescent scar on her girlfriend's abdomen. Apparently they had lingered there for too long. Her partner's assessment of her body had made Irene even more self aware than she already was.

Overcome with insecurity, Irene turned her back on Wendy, burying her face in her hands. "I can't do this." A look of guilt adorned Wendy's features. She hated seeing Irene upset, especially when she knew that it was somehow her fault. She crawled across the bed, approaching the quivering figure facing the far wall in a state of inner distress. The body she lived in now was too different and unfamiliar. It felt like she had become a completely different person over the past year -- a complete stranger to herself. How was Wendy or anyone else supposed to love her in such a disgusting state?

A gentle hand came to rest on Irene's shoulder.

"We don't have to do anything tonight, Hyunnie," Wendy crooned. "I want to be your mate and I want to make love to you again, but I only want to take that step when you're ready."

"But I may never be, Seungwan-ah," Irene choked out. "I'll never look the same way I used to. I _want_ to enjoy intimate moments with you, I really do, but..." Wendy moved closer to her on the bed and pulled her lover's warm, naked body against her half-clothed one.

"You could wake up an ugly little toad tomorrow and I'd still kiss your head good morning and goodnight everyday until they put me in the ground," Wendy sniffled, rocking the china doll of a woman side to side soothingly. "Every time I hear Hui cry, I thank my lucky stars that I have her. _You_ gave her to me with this beautiful body I love so much because it's all you in every way. Nothing will ever change that." Irene leaned into Wendy's hand on her cheek, the thumb of it wiping her tears away. "Now, I want you to be mine and I'll be yours so that I can hold you and kiss your cute little face every time I see you." A few precious giggles came at the small price of a barrage of cheek kisses. When she was through pecking her, Wendy brought her forehead to rest against her partner's. "Please stop being so hard on yourself, okay?" She whispered quietly into the nightosphere. "I'll always think you're beautiful and you should too." Irene sniffled and nodded, reaching up to touch the hand that was still resting on her cheek.

"I'm your ugly little toad." She chuckled, though it didn't have the same affect on Wendy. She failed to see the humor in her own recycled hypothetical.

"No, you're my beautiful bunny." 

Irene brought both of their hands down to rest on the mattress between them. "Do you think that maybe we could... try this again?" Wendy smiled and kissed Irene's forehead lovingly.

"I'd love that."

* * *

On the other side of the wall, Joy and Seulgi laid in blissful silence. After a while, they could hear the dull thud of Wendy's bedpost tapping the wall as well as the hand full of sweet moans that were not quite absorbed by the insulation. Joy couldn't help but chuckle.

"It seems the happy couple is back in action."

"Mhm," Seulgi hummed in acknowledgement, but said nothing more. In the meantime, Joy quirked her lips in thought.

"Hey, unnie?"

"Hm?" 

"What was that today?" She inquired. "Should I get my hopes up or mark that down as just a one night stand?" Seulgi took a deep breath in through the nose and pondered the question for a long moment.

"I would hope it wasn't a one-time thing," She murmured hoarsely. "But for now, let's just keep this between us. I'm still not sure where I stand in all of this."

"I get it," Joy turned her head to look at Seulgi's side profile. "Thanks for at least giving me a chance."

"No problem." Seulgi's eyes widened in nervous surprise as Joy moved a little closer to curl up against her naked body. It had been an awfully long time since she had felt her heart beat that fast. Slowly, she glanced at the taller girl out of the corner of her eye.

"Goodnight." The younger sighed sleepily. Seulgi swallowed the lump forming in her throat and returned to gazing up at the ceiling deep in thought; the sounds of Irene and Wendy's coupling muffled through the material of the wall above their heads.

"Goodnight."


	41. XLI

The beep of the scanner reading the barcode on each one of a middle-aged woman's purchases was knocking on the door between annoying and downright irritating. Wendy patiently waited at the back of a long line with a cart full of things she and Irene thought they would need during their week-long vacation. However, that patience was slowly wearing thin -- especially when the woman holding up the line decided to argue with the boy working the register and demanded to speak to the manager. Seeing this as a golden opportunity, Wendy fished into her back pocket to retrieve her cell phone.

Her main mission during this solo outing was to get Irene hot and bothered. Over the time she had spent getting to know Irene romantically, she had learned that the older woman was quite responsive to teasing texts and pillow talk. Pretty much anything that had some form of communication at its base struck a certain chord with Irene. This, unfortunately, was where a sexual ravine between the two had formed. Wendy wasn't very good at doing cringy things like aegyo and talking dirty, but she had managed to find a compromise in sending the occasional naughty text in place of a phone call. It was much easier for her to type things out than say them in the heat of the moment and Irene didn't seem to mind. Those raunchy texts Wendy would send her out of the blue never failed to get her wet.

The buzz of her phone vibrating on the counter top behind her caught Irene's attention. She turned away from the sink after drying the last of the baby bottles, wiping her hands off with a dish rag and leaning over the kitchen island while she read the impromptu message Wendy had sent her. She was pleasantly surprised. There were a few reasons as to why she had chosen to keep the visible notifications of Wendy's messages turned off and this was the main culprit. Flirtatious declarations of everything Wendy wanted to do to her were practically burned into Irene's retinas and set tingles straight down to her core. She chuckled softly to herself in response to her partner's provocative antics.

"You know exactly what you do to me, don't you." She sent a quick but flirty text back letting Wendy know her efforts had not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. With that, she set her phone back down on the island and lazily sauntered her way over to the refrigerator with her hands folded over her chest. 

She smiled at the new additions to her photo collection. The holidays had come and gone in a flash of a pan and by the time things seemed to slow back down again, it was already February. The triplets' first holiday, Halloween, had confused them. Their innocent little heads couldn't wrap around the reason as to why they were put in costumes and marched around the neighborhood asking total strangers for tricks or treats. While they couldn't yet eat the candy they had been given, the adorable costumes had made the experience worth the hassle -- at least for their parents, that is. Sooyun became a cute little lady bug, Rowoon went as Winnie the Pooh, and Hyunhui would have made the perfect baby Elsa due to her white hair, but since no costumes came in her size, she went dressed as a pumpkin instead.

Irene smiled brightly at the Polaroid photos she had taken of each respective pup and sire; Seulgi helping Rowoon complete a simple baby puzzle while they waited for the others to get ready, Joy holding Sooyun in the doorway and doing a highly fabricated pose, Wendy sitting on the front porch beside the jack-o'lanterns Seulgi and the maknae line had carved with the ever so expressionless Hyunhui perched on her lap in her pumpkin costume, and Auntie Yeri throwing a few pieces of candy in the air that had, for some unknown reason, made Rowoon laugh like nobody's business. 

She failed to hear Wendy sneaking in through the back door with several shopping bags in hand. Having noticed her girlfriend standing with her back facing her, Wendy smirked and bit her lip while quietly setting her purchases off to the side for the time being. She slowly walked up behind her mate-to-be and wrapped her up in a back hug. As expected, Irene jumped and declared how she had startled her despite the evidence of that being rather obvious. Once she had calmed down again, Wendy giggled and kissed her neck sweetly. She released her partner from the embrace and instead draped a limp arm over her shoulders, also looking through the photos from her vantage point.

"I think this one's my favorite." Irene snorted softly and laced her fingers with her lover's. It was the picture Wendy had insisted on putting up there as well. Right beside their family photo was one of Irene and Hyunhui -- the resident ice queen and ice princess -- both watching the others' antics with the same resting expression on both of their pretty faces. 

"Can you believe they're almost five months old? Where has the time gone?" There was a hint of sorrow in Irene's tone that certainly caught Wendy's ear. 

"They're growing up," She replied, kissing Irene's cheek while pondering her own statement. "In a way, we all are."

"Are you sure they'll be alright here on their own?"

"Of course," Wendy said with a reassuring smile. "There are three grown adults here. I think they're at least smart enough to put their heads together. I have faith in Sooyoung-ah."

Her complete disregard for the dumb bear and evil maknae's questionable babysitting skills made Irene laugh. "And what about the others?" 

"I guess they're here too." Irene gave her partner's hand a playful little slap of discipline, but returned to looking at the photos just as quickly. "The pups have everything they need. If something should go wrong, they have our numbers." 

"But we'll be a bit preoccupied, don't you think?" Irene murmured quietly with a suggestive smirk. "What if we don't hear them calling?"

Wendy flashed her a sly grin. "Then they can leave a message." With a parting boop to Irene's button nose, the beta gathered whatever they would need over the next week and moved it all over to sit by the front door. Seulgi, who had been sitting on the couch watching some children's show with her son who looked at the luggage curiously while gnawing on a teething ring, leaned her head over the back of the couch to speak with her.

"Heading out?" She inquired with a smile.

"Just about," Her friend muttered under her breath, feeling around her pants pockets. "If I could just find..."

"These?" Irene said with a knowing smirk and the keys to the ritual suite Wendy's parents had been generous enough to rent for them dangling from her finger. The beta flashed her a thankful smile, took the keys from her, and planted a firm one right on the kisser. Seulgi covered Rowoon's eyes making the boy give his head a shake in an effort to peek around her hand and figure out what was going on. 

Seulgi could see the couple was getting a bit carried away, what with Wendy's sneaky hands sliding from Irene's waist down to rest over her butt. She put on a sweet but somewhat forlorn smile. She knew she had no right to feel that little twinge of jealousy, but it still stung a bit to see her ex in the arms of someone else. Perhaps she would have been more firm in her resistance if that 'someone else' wasn't Wendy. Now they were about to spend the week of Valentine's shacked up together and would return permanently linked to one another until death do them part. Just thinking about such a commitment activated the resident bear's fight or flight response. They both deserved their happiness and for that reason, Seulgi was glad they had found each other. She was just glad that she and the pups wouldn't have to lay witness to such promiscuous _activities_. At least now they would have their own personal space to get as loud and frisky as they wanted. Besides, they deserved a little time away from all of the commotion -- especially Irene. 

With the happy couple still off in their own little world of lips and tongue, the alpha chuckled under her breath and decided to seize this golden opportunity to tease them. "Hey, save it for later, you two! There are children present. _I'm_ present." The duo's lips quickly separated with a loud smack. A bit embarrassed, Wendy pursed her lips and nodded her head apologetically while Irene looked down at her shoes and tucked a strand of jet black hair behind her ear.

"If you come back pregnant again, I'm going to scream." Yeri said with a deadpan expression after immerging from the nursery while bouncing baby Sooyun who appeared to be curious about her aunt's hair. 

Seulgi turned to give the couple a pointed look. "You packed condoms, right?"

"Yes." Wendy breathed in exasperation with Irene rubbing her back while sporting a sorry smile. She did regret that Wendy wouldn't be able to get as much out of the sensation than if they went at it raw, but it wasn't worth risking another litter with her fertility being as high as it was. Not to mention that the one they already had was only just beginning to start teething, and with all of the fornication that was sure to be going on throughout the week, there was no doubt in her mind that she would get pregnant again if they neglected to use protection. The beeping of a car horn outside made both Irene and Wendy turn to look. "Well, that's our ride." Wendy reached down to take two of the bulkier cases and left the less cumbersome ones for Irene, much to the latter's objection. They came to a compromise where each of them would escort one heavy and one medium-weight case down the sidewalk towards the car waiting for them by the mailbox.

As Wendy was about to make her way out the door, Irene quickly grabbed her by the coat sleeve. "Wait! We need to say bye to Hyui-ya."

"Oh!" Wendy immediately dropped their cases and scurried off towards the nursery. On her way there, Irene bent over the back of the couch to kiss her son's head goodbye then elegantly floated over to do the same to Sooyun. When she finally got to the pups' room, Wendy was already there; gazing down into the crib with a fond smile on her face. Upon noticing Irene entering, she moved over just enough to let her stand beside her. "She's sleeping." She whispered. True to her sire's word, the runt of the litter was fast asleep on her back with her tiny fists resting beside her head. Her tummy rose and fell with each little breath she took making the baby blue bunnies on her onesie change shape as well. Irene bent at the hip to kiss her little maknae's forehead. A soft sound -- something between a happy croon and a whimper -- made her parents smile. "Let's not keep the driver waiting," Wendy quickly took a moment to bid her own farewells. "Bye, pumpkin. We'll be back in a week." With that parting whisper, Wendy took Irene's hand and walked with her back towards the foyer.

"Be good!" Wendy chirped while they regathered their things.

"I would say the same to you, but we all know that won't be happening." The other beta shot her a half scolding, half humored glance on their way out the door. As they made their way down the path, Yeri quickly walked over and pushed the front door open again to holler after them. "Don't knock her up, Son Seungwan! I mean it!" Irene's melodic cackle could easily be heard from inside the house. 

Once the couple had finished loading up in the car and drove away, Yeri turned to Seulgi. "Hey, where's Sooyoungie? I've been looking for her all morning." Seulgi subtly cleared her throat to break up the lump of nerves building there. After the night before, Joy was still a bit sore in... _places_. Because of this, she had decided to take it easy for a while until she could walk without looking like a lone ranger staggering into an old saloon. As it was technically Seulgi's fault she was down for the count, it would be on her to cover for her. The only problem was Seulgi's a terrible liar. "She hasn't been sleeping in our room much lately. I miss her weird sleep talking." Yeri chuckled while fiddling with the pacifier belonging to said woman's pup. 

Seulgi quickly fabricated a somewhat believable explanation. "I've been letting her crash in my room," She said while staring at the cartoon characters singing and dancing along to some song about friendship. "She really likes my wool blanket for some reason."

"Really? I'm surprised you're not being more territorial towards her." There was some truth to such a statement. As an alpha, and especially as a prime, it was to be expected that Seulgi would hog a significant amount of space from Joy. However, Seulgi was never too territorial with her only real competition -- probably because they had no choice but to live in close quarters for so long. That wasn't to say they both didn't have their moments, though. This was especially the case when one or the other was about to go into a rut. It was part of what made Joy so protective over Irene while she was in heat. In such instances, it became a sword and shield battle. Joy would always try to challenge Seulgi's position of power and Seulgi would have to knock the younger back down to size or risk losing it. It created quite a bit of tension between the two until the culprit's rut faded. Then they would just go about their business like nothing happened. It was quite a humorous situation to watch. "I really am curious though; why _are_ you so mellow around her? You _are_ an alpha, right?" She joked, though there was a ring of sincerity behind her previous question.

"I don't know," She shrugged. "Maybe my alpha side just doesn't see her as much of a threat."

"Ouch!" Yeri laughed. "Shot down her pride. Maybe you really are an alpha." As the maknae made her way towards the kitchen with Joy's daughter in tow, Seulgi thought long and hard about what she meant by that. 

* * *

"So I guess we should get settled now since we won't want to do it later," Irene stated while looking around at their essentials sitting on the floor of the foyer. When no response came, she quirked her lips and turned to look at her lover. "Seungwan-ah?" Noticing where on her body Wendy's gaze was glued to, Irene couldn't help but smile. Keeping her flannel shirt in its current position hanging off of her shoulders, she moved mischievously slowly to stand in front of her lover to further present her chest for her viewing pleasure. Pale, nimble hands fiddled with the material of her girlfriend's button up shirt. "Baby, my eyes are up here."

"Hmm?" The blonde hummed mindlessly, though she was quick to catch herself. "Oh, sorry! They're just... really nice." She added with an airy, shy chuckle and a hand rubbing the nape of her neck. She was acting like a school boy who had just gotten caught gawking at the teacher and Irene was living for it. 

"You're allowed to look," She chuckled. "You're allowed to touch them too," Wendy's heartbeat pounded in her eardrums. All she could do was watch as Irene reached down to grab her hands and brought them up to her chest. "As a matter of fact, it's strongly encouraged." The raven shot her a little wink and that coupled with the squeezable mounds under her palms nearly killed her on the spot. 

"I am _hard_."

The omega laughed melodically then stepped away to take a good look around the villa. It was fairly modern, but still managed to hold on to its historical roots. Luxurious red and golden hues were used to decorate the interior from the majestic decorative columns coming up through the floor to the soft velvet of the furniture. It looked like an Egyptian river-side oasis, complete with a private pool in the back yard, though the structure of the house was very Korean-style. It was nice, but way over the budget they had expected. 

"I thought I told them to just get us the standard package," Wendy tisked under her breath while running a hand over the unreasonably expensive felt material of the furniture. "I didn't know they'd book the _entire_ luxury suite."

"Your parents are too kind." 

"Woah!" Irene looked up from admiring the decorations set up near the sun room -- most of which were probably worth a fortune -- and bent her body to peer inside of the bedroom before giving in to her curiosity and seeing it for herself. When she got there, Wendy was laying on the king-sized bed in a starfish position -- a funny look of astonishment on her infamously expressive face. "The thread count on this thing must be astronomical! I'm scared I might fall asleep on you!" Irene giggled and wrapped her arms around the decorative bed post. She enjoyed just watching her lover admire their new accommodations through the wispy white canopy bed curtains flowing gently like tentacles on a jellyfish due to the air circulating through the room. "Come join me!" Wendy called, reaching her hand out and waving it in invitation. Not needing any further encouragement, Irene parted the nearly transparent curtains and crawled onto the bed beside her lover. She settled on her back, using Wendy's arm as a pillow, and gasped.

"Oh wow!"

"Right?" Wendy chuckled. She kissed the back of the hand that came up to lace their fingers together and sighed in contempt. For a while, the merry couple laid there in blissful silence. In just a few days, everything about their relationship would change -- hopefully for the better. Wendy rolled her head to get a good look at her beloved's beautiful face. However, her features had adorned a rather pouty-looking expression. Wendy knew that look; it was the look Irene always got whenever something was weighing heavily on her mind. "Whatcha thinking about?"

Irene breathed a deep, borderline forlorn, sigh while answering. "Nothing."

Wendy flashed her a soft but knowing smile. "You miss your babies, don't you."

Irene's dark eyes flicked off to the side. "... Maybe." It was the first time since her rehabilitation that she would be going an extended period of time without seeing her pups and, of course, she was feeling pretty glum. Over time it had become clear that she was suffering from some minor attachment issues. As a mother, she didn't want to neglect her pups, but the balance necessary to teach the triplets some sense of independence had been skewed. Once they had been completely weaned off of her milk, Irene began to realize the error of her ways and made great strides in stepping back, though it still wasn't enough to completely resolve the issue.

Underneath it all, every dynamic had to fight with their primal roots in order to maintain a harmonious society -- namely alphas and omegas. Irene's maternal instincts were just another example of this tug-of-war. Her nature wanted to raise her pups by using the blueprints planted in her code by her forefathers. After all, it was the method that brought her into existence. However, unlike her ancestors, she lived in a day and age where surviving against the elements was not a necessity. She had to pull harder against those survival instincts in order to help herself cope with tending to her pups manually without having her autopilot to fall back on. And while the others had been a great help in picking up the slack she couldn't manage, it was still on her as the pilot to keep the plane from plummeting to the ground.

Wendy could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes and sympathized with the girl, gently rubbing her arm to dam up any negative thoughts that could be drifting down the stream in the complex inner workings of her partner's psyche. As a beta, she knew she could never truly understand an omega's almost obsessive attachment to her pups, but it certainly didn't keep her from trying. She hoped that their ritual would help take Irene's mind off of the pressure long enough for her to let loose and enjoy herself. As a couple, they had been sexually frustrated as of late thanks to the munchkins constantly interrupting them in the middle of foreplay. There was a point at which Wendy had to keep Irene from throwing the baby monitor and, looking back on it now, it was actually quite funny. By the time either one of them returned from battle, they would be too exhausted to continue and would go to sleep without any sort of gratification. Needless to say, they weren't necessarily the easiest people to get along with over the past few weeks.

Wendy continued to stare at her partner even while she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt in order to not-so-subtly avoid her eyes. "Honestly, I'm not really sure where to start from here." Irene said with a blush.

"Well," Wendy breathed, not quite knowing what to do with the giddy but awkward tension building in the room herself. Something propped up against the pillows quickly caught her eye. She reached for what appeared to have been a menu but turned out to be a series of guidelines provided by the owner of the villa. "I guess we should glance through this first." Irene raised her upper body on her elbows, though she remained in her laid-back position -- peeking over at the housekeeping information written on the page though it was all upside down from her perspective.

"What does it say?"

The blonde's eyes scampered around the page, picking up and reciting only the most important pieces of information emphasized with asterisks and bold lettering. "We can do it anywhere so long as we're within the boundary lines, we'll have to write a note for cleaning if we do it in the pool or kitchen... oh, and we aren't allowed to steal stuff." She added for humorous effect while showing Irene where it had been written. 

"Damn, there go my plans." Irene joked, accepting the list of rules and regulations from Wendy for her own review. At the bottom of page was an optional -- granted, quite corny -- little treasure hunt occupants could choose to play. She sat up with her legs crossed and tugged at her partner's shirt sleeve. "It says there's a treasure chest hidden somewhere!" She shot her partner a curious and competitive smile. "Wanna see if we can find it?"

"And go head to head with the game queen? I think I'll pass." The beta snorted.

"We can work together! Pleeeease?"

Wendy turned her head to spare a glance at her lover. "No, don't give me that look." Irene's big, brown bunny eyes pleaded up at her with an adorable pout to amplify its affect. How could anyone possibly say no to that face?

The blonde laughed in spite herself and willingly allowed her shaky resolve to crumble into dust. "As if I could deny you anything." A bright, happy grin spread across Irene's features as she hastily moved to grab Wendy by the hand and pulled her up out of the bed.

* * *

Joy bit harshly into the handkerchief Seulgi had placed in her mouth to keep her quiet. The friction was almost too much for her to take silently. She wanted to release the little sounds of pleasure trapped in her throat, but she knew that in doing so she would be waking the pups and risking their secret fling's exposure to Yeri.

Without her hands for support due to the state of her wrists being tied together behind her back, she had no choice but to keep her upper half down against the mattress. Her body was jerked back and forth across the sheets with the pace Seulgi had set in such a way that added some additional stimulation to her hardened nipples. All she could do was whimper and hope that soon her own erection would be well cared for.

Behind her, Seulgi grunted softly under her breath with each powerful thrust. She gripped the younger girls hips while she humped her, reveling in the delighted sounds she was rewarded with each time the head of her member prodded that certain spot deep inside of Joy's rectum. Another firm slap landed on Joy's reddened backside making her whine around the cloth between her teeth. A tan and elegantly crafted hand reached around the younger girl's hip to take hold of her length and stroked it at a teasingly slow pace.

"Uhnnye!" Came a muffled cry, but Seulgi maintained her exact speed and instead bent over Joy's back to rasp quietly into her ear.

"Good girl, do you like taking me up your tight little ass?" A tiny whimper of confirmation made her smirk and give Joy's cock a delectable squeeze. "Yeah? Do you like the way daddy treats you?"

"Mhm." Seulgi let go of the younger girl's cock and folded herself over her back, both hands on either side of her as she pistoned in and out in such a way that stroked Joy's prostate just right. The bottom whined and panted in ecstasy. She enjoyed the added bonus of Seulgi's breasts rubbing against her bare back. Wet sounds from the lube and her leaking precome filled Seulgi's room as her hips picked up the pace.

"Fuck, tell me where you want it!" She growled huskily, though still in a whispering tone. 

Joy couldn't help but whimper in response to her partner's gruff tone of voice. "Inshide." The prime breathed heavily in exertion while trying to focus on the sensation of Joy's tight little ass clenching around her girth. 

"Mmm, fucking _take it!_ " With a low grunt, she pushed herself as deep as she could go and significantly slowed her thrusts to nothing more than long drags as she unloaded into Joy's butt for the second time that night. The younger mewled at the warm sensation. The prime patted and squeezed her blushing rear as a reward for good behavior while gingerly unsheathing herself from the woman whining in slight discomfort in front of her. She pulled her cheeks apart and watched white stream of her own spunk leak out of Joy's hole. Satisfied with her own handiwork, she gave the rim of it a rub with the pad of her thumb before closing her eyes and sucking her own fluids out of her tight channel. Joy took pleasure in the odd pulling sensation and had to remind herself not to come until Seulgi said she could. 

"Go ahead and sit up. You can take that off now if you want." Once the rope was cut from her wrists, Joy did as she was told and removed the cloth from between her teeth. Meanwhile, a pair of monolid eyes gazed at the painfully stiff length standing at attention between the younger girl's legs. "You've been a good girl; not coming until I say so." Joy squeaked out a little breath of relief when a hand that was not her own gave her heavy balls some attention.

"A good girl only comes when daddy says so." The young raven panted with half-lidded eyes. Seulgi hummed her approval and latched onto Joy's pale neck like a leech. The hand previously playing with the other alpha's genitals wrapped around her shaft -- still wet and glistening with a layer of lubricant -- and dragged lethargic strokes up to the head before gliding back down to the base. Joy's shaky moans and quivering breaths reverberated in her neck and as a result, transferred directly onto Seulgi's lips. The prime's thumb caressed the sensitive head of Joy's length making her toes curl under the pleasant sensation it caused.

As her strokes increased in speed, Joy began to gnaw on her plump lower lip until it bled only to keep herself from crying out. Seulgi could see the base of her cock swelling with a knot -- a tell-tale sign that Joy was nearly finished. "Unn- daddy, I'm-"

"You can come." Joy's nostrils flared, her eyes clenched shut as her hips rose to assist Seulgi's hand. Knowing she wouldn't be able to keep quiet, she stuffed her makeshift gag back into her mouth just in time. Her release went off like a fountain, landing on her own stomach and thighs as well as Seulgi's grip which was still stroking her to prolong her orgasm. Her knot and balls pulsed as rope after rope of white fluids shot up into the air and ran down her generous length. Joy propped her back up against the bedpost and panted, watching as Seulgi's hand continued to squeeze out more and more spunk from her tip. When the once pleasant sensation grew to be too much, she politely pushed the hand away as she didn't yet have the lung capacity to speak.

"Wow," Seulgi murmured while cleaning the warm come off of her hand. "You have a lot of range."

"Yeah, you must have pressure washed Joohyun unnie's cervix." The duo's eyes widened in alarm upon realizing that voice didn't belong to either of them. Slowly, petrified with the fear of being caught in the act, they turned their heads to find Yeri seated in the chair beside Seulgi's vanity. The smirk on her lips was living proof that she knew she had seen something she wasn't supposed to. "Ya know, before all of this, I never would've guessed you have a daddy kink, unnie." Yeri's humored giggles made Seulgi's face glow red with embarrassment. She was well aware that her kink was pretty ironic to say the least.

As the innocent, dumb bear of the group, she was often babied by the other members. It was the power associated with the name that appealed to her. That particular kink had surfaced after sleeping with Irene for the first time back when she was only nineteen years old. Despite the fact that Seulgi was an alpha and her sunbae by two years, Irene had the power as the eldest and eventually, as the leader of Red Velvet. Seulgi simply enjoyed being in control during intercourse -- even if her partner was usually the one calling all of the shots outside of the bedroom. 

The shrill sounds of a baby crying cut the awkward tension in the room. "Well, I'll leave you weirdos to it," Yeri chuckled on her way up and out the door. "And hey, don't worry about word getting out about this, okay? Your secret's safe with me." That last remark, unbeknownst to its deliverer, had wedged a dagger deep into Seulgi's chest. The maknae pulled the door closed behind her and went to go check up on the fussy pup.

Once they were alone again in the darkened room, Joy turned to Seulgi. Accidentally being outed when Seulgi wasn't even sure if she was in the closet yet made Joy feel like this was somehow all her fault. She should have locked the door or have been a bit quieter. Better yet, she could have just left Seulgi alone and let her infatuation die out on its own. Instead, she had gotten Seulgi involved and the guilt was eating her up inside. The older woman looked about ready to break down and cry. 

"... Unnie, I-"

"Please, just go away." The prime croaked hoarsely through a light sniffle, turning her back and covering her reddened face with her hair the way she always did when she was trying to hide her tears. She felt disgusted with herself.

Seulgi had always held some discomfort towards the public assuming her to be gay or homodynamic for reasons unbeknownst to her. The importance her parents had placed on mating a nice omega and living the conventional suburban lifestyle had been drilled so deep into her skull that it was driving her crazy. With all of that internalized resentment swirling around in her head, it was no wonder she feared such assumptions proving to be true. She didn't want to be queer, but she didn't want to conform either. She just wanted to feel comfortable and confident in herself; not her talent, not her likability, only the person she was at her core, whomever that may be.

For a little while longer, Joy sat on the far end of Seulgi's bed in silence while the latter tried her very hardest to choke back her tears until she knew she was gone. Joy wanted to be mad at Seulgi for being in denial, but she understood how lost she must have felt. After all, she had been around that same block several times before. Although, if she was being completely honest with herself, Seulgi would have a much harder time coming to terms with it than she did. Not only was Joy homodynamic, but she was transdynamic as well. She was practically an omega in alphan clothing while Seulgi was entirely comfortable with the duties and methods of reproduction she had been given. The creepy crawlers still believing in the the way things were hundreds of years ago would label Joy's sexuality as a form of mental illness and leave her alone for the most part, but Seulgi would surely be harassed and berated for 'abandoning the order of nature' if she should come to embrace that side of herself as well. Homodynamic relations between alphas were not nearly as tolerated as they were for omegas and transdynamics, unfortunately.

It was about as true as it was unfair.

With a heavy heart and an even heavier conscience, Joy decided to give Seulgi her much needed time alone to reflect. Quickly and quietly, she gathered her clothes off of the floor before disappearing off into the heart of the house shrouded by night.


	42. XLII

As the early evening sun set into golden twilight, Irene and Wendy -- though mainly Irene -- carried on their search for the goodies hidden somewhere within the villa. Irene had already dragged her beta companion from the bedroom through the living room all the way to the sun room on the far west side of the house, but so far, no dice. Wendy couldn't help but giggle a little at her girlfriend's breaths of competitive frustration. Even though there was no time limit -- or anyone playing against them, for that matter -- Game Queen Irene still managed to find a way to pout over something as simple as a treasure hunt. It was still adorable to Wendy, though.

"Oh wow, look at the sunset!" True to Wendy's observations, the sunset did look particularly beautiful that evening. While Irene continued to scavenge the area for any signs of treasure, the blonde watched the sun hide its face behind a small congregation of Korean Pines. The gold ornamentation of the villa's interior worked so nicely with the last few sunbeams of the day coming in through the row of large windows to the couple's left. A sudden rustle coming from her partner's direction made Wendy's head turn. 

Irene gave a nearby ottoman a firm shake, thus eliciting another series of small thumps from within. She turned to spare Wendy an excited grin over her shoulder. "Think we've found it?"

"Let's see." As Wendy made a move to kneel down on the floor beside her lover, the latter lifted the lid on the piece of furniture. Inside of the ottoman was a treasure trove of toys galore; whips, paddles, vibrators, strap-ons, cock rings, gloves, hand cuffs, butt plugs, blind folds -- the whole nine yards. Irene and Wendy just stared down at their findings in shock.

Finally, a long whistle came from Wendy's mouth that broke the awestruck silence. "It's like they knew you were coming." The woman beside her shot her a glare and bent down to root through the assortment of objects. When she resurfaced, a pair of handcuffs dangled from her finger and were passively handed off to her blushing partner while she continued to rummage through things. She continued to hand off object after object to Wendy without shame; rope, a blindfold, a pleasure glove, and a vibrating cock ring. Wendy thickly swallowed. "Do you think we'll have enough time to use all of these?"

"We have an entire week," Irene replied. "The rope and handcuffs are to help you out when the time comes. I want you to have the tools that'll give you the best advantage since I obviously won't be able to help you." Wendy's shoulders loosened a little and she nodded in understanding. Her logic made sense. Wendy would already be at a major disadvantage when trying to overpower Irene due to her petite size and beta status. While Irene may have been no Hulk herself, she was certainly stronger than she looked and with the most feral side of her omega nature there to back that up, Wendy already knew she would be in for a long battle. Against Irene, no less; her unnie, leader, lover, and friend -- let alone the mother of her pup. She knew that Irene 2.0 wouldn't make things easier on her. After all, this battle of wills would be the omega's last line of defense before she would be linked to Wendy for the rest of her life, and while Wendy could not be eternally attached to Irene in the same way, she knew the magnitude of the responsibility she carried and planned on treating it accordingly; matching it with the same amount of devotion Irene would show her once she wore her mark on her neck.

Her eyes landed on that very spot; just over Irene's pulse point where her scent was strongest and her body was weakest. That region of her neck alone carried more nerve endings than anywhere else on an omega's body -- eyes and lips included. For an omega, the scent gland could be on either side of their neck. If an omega was right-handed, then their gland would be on the right side of their neck and vice versa. Of course, this also meant that whichever side would be more sensitive to sensations such as touch and kisses. 

Irene's eyes widened a little when a cold hand made contact with the base of her neck. However, before she could turn to ask any questions, a surprised gasp escaped her throat. She felt like she had just had a mini orgasm from Wendy's lips teasing the right side of her neck alone. The younger's warm breaths only added more to the sensation thus throwing Irene even deeper into a sudden whirlpool of ecstasy. When one of those devilish kisses landed right on top of her weak spot, Irene whined and trembled uncontrollably -- coming right there on the floor, fully clothed.

The oblivious beta just gawked in amazement as her partner's release created a puddle on the tile, even through the material of her bluejeans. Irene panted raspily, struggling to keep her eyes opened. Never before had she experienced an orgasm like that; one that made her gush straight through her clothes or left her basking in the afterglow seven minutes after the fact. She remained slumped over the ottoman, still coming, while her partner gently rubbed her heaving back in soothing circles.

By now, the room smelled strongly of Irene's sexual musk thanks to the small lake of her juices pooling between her legs. Once she was free from her euphoric haze, the discomfort in her soaked pants and underwear became more apparent. Without further ado, she shed the lower half of her clothes much to Wendy's initial surprise. Slender legs, glistening pink lips, and a matching bud came into view, but the beta was quick to divert her eyes for the sake of Irene's privacy. She seemed to have forgotten exactly what they were there for and the reality of it made the raven laugh. 

"You can look, babe. It's not like I'll stop you. Especially after giving me an orgasm like that." Wendy peeked through the gaps between her fingers and her eyes immediately widened at the sight of her partner playing with herself for her own visual pleasure. With her back against the ottoman, she spread her legs and teased her wet entrance while waiting for Wendy to snap out of whatever daze she was caught up in so she could come fill her and scratch that needy itch in the back of her channel. 

As though she could read Irene's thoughts, Wendy crawled closer and rested her hands on her partner's knees while planting a kiss right on the older woman's lips making her hum in approval. What was nothing more than a passionate peck quickly turned into a full-on makeout session complete with teeth and tongue. Irene wrapped her arms around Wendy's neck, knowing she had to be soaking through the front of Wendy's jeans, but not caring enough to say anything about it. She could feel a swell forming there, pressing against her inner thigh making her smirk while darting her tongue back inside of her lover's warm mouth.

Wendy was the only one brave enough to pull away first with a wet smack. The omega licked a bit of their combined saliva from her semi-swollen lips and watched with darkened eyes as her lover fiddled with the zipper on the front of her pants. Soon her jeans were unfastened and shed down her legs to reveal a pair of red boxer briefs filled with a tell-tale sign hinting towards Wendy's current state of arousal. However, her underwear didn't follow suit as Irene had expected. Instead, Wendy's right hand rested on her knee while her left reached down between her legs to touch her warm center.

The raven hissed at the cold contact and tucked her chin towards her chest, but kept her legs bent and opened for easier access. Wendy's hand rubbed slow circles over Irene's wet entrance before moving up to tease her clit only to make their way back down again. "You're such a tease." Wendy chuckled at the bitter grunt and kissed her frustrations away.

Finally, she pushed a single finger into Irene's warm, tight channel making her gasp in surprise and instinctively begin to close her legs if not for Wendy's presence between them. For a while, Wendy slowly dragged the digit in and out while crooking it in search of the perfect angle. When she found it, she inserted a second finger and began to thrust with more intentions towards getting Irene off. The pads of her first and middle fingers stroked a spongy spot against the omega's front wall that made her whimper.

When she took a moment to look at the disheveled state of her lover's attire, Wendy realized she had found a new appreciation for her lover in clothes that draped off of her tiny frame and looked absolutely raunchy when roughed up due to the physicality of sex. With her free hand that had been perched on Irene's pale knee like a crow on a wire, she reached out to unfasten a few of the buttons on Irene's shirt so she could get a better view of her chest and collar bones. Black lace peaked out from under the flannel shirt, though Irene didn't seem to mind thanks to Wendy's talented hand keeping her preoccupied. As a little reward, Wendy gently added a third finger which had seemingly brought the pretty raven back into reality for a moment.

"Oh! Fuck!" Irene moaned breathily with her head resting all the way back on the lid of the ottoman. Her hands came up to rest on Wendy's shoulders while she jostled a little with each thrust of her lover's hand. The constant yet unpredictable stimulation to her sweet spot coupled with the way her walls stretched to accommodate her partner's fingers nearly threw Irene over the edge. Still, she needed a little something more. "Fuck, go deeper!"

"As you wish." Wendy's fingers sank deeper into Irene's tight channel at which the latter sighed, yelping when the beta's middle finger nudged another pleasurable spot towards the back of her birth canal.

"Mmm right there!" 

"Right there?" Wendy's thumb rubbed the omega's clit for some added stimulation which made Irene buck her hips and groan in desperation, searching for whatever it was she needed to finally teeter over the edge. Noticing her efforts, Wendy grinned sultrily and buried her face between Irene's jaw and neck. "Did you like my little message from earlier?" The raven gasped and moaned needily, her own hand coming down to caress her dewy folds only to be harshly smacked away. However, a warm sensation immediately surrounded her digits making her open her weary eyes long enough to watch Wendy lick them clean of her slick. Velvet walls clenched around the blonde's hardworking fingers. "Hmm, I'll take that as a yes." A soft hiss through pearly white teeth made Wendy smile as her fingers brushed Irene's g-spot. In a sort of chain reaction, her hand was then coated in more of that warm, sticky substance. 

"C-close." Irene managed to pant through a series of labored breaths. Knowing better than to change anything after such desperate words, Wendy's hand maintained its brisk but steady pace, working Irene closer and closer to release with each delicious stroke. "W-Wannie..."

"Come for me, unnie." Warm walls gripped her fingers, milking them for a little more friction. When the sensation reached her brain, Irene wailed out in delight, pasty thighs trembling as she came all over Wendy's hand. With feelings of overstimulation beginning to set in, Irene reached down to stall the hand that was gently coaxing her through to completion. While Irene fought to catch her breath once more, Wendy observed her hand and wrist -- soaked in her lover's arousal. One by one, she licked her fingers clean then moved on to the rest of her hand. Irene could only watch the display with hooded eyes. "Mmm," Wendy hummed with furrowed brows while licking any remanence of Irene she might have missed from her lips. "Tastes sweet. You must be due for a heat soon." Panting Irene's gaze drifted down to the bulge straining against the front of Wendy's red underwear. Before she could finish catching her breath, she heaved herself up from the floor -- careful not to slip on the puddle of her own slick -- and grabbed a somewhat confused Wendy by the wrist, leading her off into the living room. "Uh, Hyunnie? Umph!" The small beta grunted as she was practically slung onto the couch. However, Irene was in no hurry to follow. "What's this-? Woooah..." 

Wendy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in an effort to look at all of Irene's body at once as she seductively worked her way out of what little remained of her clothes. She made a move to somewhat straddle Wendy's leg while nimble fingers worked through the last of her buttons until she was only left in an unfastened button-up and a lacy black bra. Instead of making a move herself, the omega gazed down at her partner with seductive and lusting eyes. 

As much as Wendy's own pair of perverted peepers wanted to drink up the vision in front of them, they landed only on a white, crescent-shaped marking on the older woman's lower abdomen. Her eyes never left it as she rested a hand on Irene's waist, caressing the scar gently with her thumb. It reminded her of just whom she was dealing with. This beautiful, seductive creature in front of her -- her soon to be mate -- was also the wonderful being that brought her angelic daughter into the world. Not only that, but two other precious pups as well. The same pretty trainee she saw walking around the company building on her first day became her close unnie and one of her dearest friends; her leader and confidant when she needed an ear to speak to; and now. Now, she was the beacon that brought them all closer, not as band mates, but as a family. And as if that wasn't already incredible enough, now she was offering up her individual freedom to Wendy as her chosen mate. 

_Somebody pinch me._

"Seungwan-ah?" A soft, familiar voice snapped Wendy's thoughts and gaze away from the scar on paramour's stomach. When she looked up, Irene flashed her a questioning glance to which Wendy responded with a smile. Both arms reached out to grab the older woman by the hips, pulling her closer for a tender, loving kiss. 

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

Irene's sweet laugh jingled with all the joy of a slay bell on Christmas Eve. "All the time," Another chaste kiss was planted in reciprocation while Irene moved to readjust herself so that she was properly straddling Wendy's lap. "And do you know how much I love _you_?" Wendy smiled and nodded cheerfully, landing one last kiss to one-up Irene before trailing a series of pecks down to her chest. 

"I _really_ like this." The beta shyly confessed while glancing at her partner's getup for emphasis.

"Oh yeah?" Irene chuckled in amusement, wrapping her arms around Wendy's neck as she leaned closer, subtly undoing the buttons on her shirt as well. "In that case, maybe I'll dress like this more often." The beta hummed her approval and helped Irene with the rest of her buttons then reaching behind her back to unfastened her bra only to be stopped by the woman perched on her lap. "Nuh uh!" Wendy shot her a wondering glance to which the omega smirked and bit her lip suggestively. "You look extra sexy in white dress shirts." The comment elicited a chuckle before their lips were engaged in yet another exchange of tingling sensations.

As Irene's body woke up again, she began to gently grind against Wendy's re-forming boner. The attention made the beta moan and let her head rest against the back of the couch while her hands guided Irene's rocking hips in a way that felt good for both of them. "Do you have a condom?" Irene breathed. For a moment, Wendy mentally cursed herself for leaving the few she had with her pants until she remembered the one she had stuck in her shirt pocket as part of a gag she had prepared for later. She figured it was much more useful to be used now. 

A feminine hand fished into Wendy's underwear making her squeak and buck her hips in a surprise surge of arousal. Though she had still to reach her full potential, something already seemed different about the beta's length in the eyes of Irene. "Have you grown or am I just seeing things?" The omega inquired, stroking the girl's girthy cock with her hand.

"Uhn, I dunno." The raven continued to work her partner up, it had been visually confirmed that Wendy had indeed managed to grow in length by about two inches. When, the duo wasn't sure. Perhaps only fucking in the dark had left some room for missed observations. 

When she was ready, Irene lifted herself off of Wendy's lap and opened her entrance with her fingers, slowly lowering herself back down onto the head of Wendy's phallus. The moment her soft flower was penetrated, Irene hissed at the somewhat painful stretch and gave herself a few seconds to adjust to only the tip. With Wendy being as thick as she was, it was always a new challenge for Irene to fully stuff herself up to the hilt and now that she knew Wendy was a bit longer as well, she would need a little extra time and patience to get the job done safely. 

While Irene slowly but surely worked her way down bit by bit, Wendy held her cock at its base to keep it steady while gently rubbing her lover's hip as a form of encouragement. To keep herself from thrusting into the enticing warmth surrounding her dick, Wendy instead focused on appreciating Irene's scandalous state of dress that had turned her on in ways she couldn't believe. She pressed two kisses to the swells of Irene's perky breasts cresting out of her bra. When she was through with that, she watched her lover's sweaty face contort in her efforts to take all of Wendy inside of her. 

"Careful, don't push yourself," Wendy reminded her while rubbing her hip. "I don't want you getting hurt," Irene took a moment to breathe before sliding her way down one last time until their warm thighs made contact. All of Wendy's length was now nestled deep inside of Irene. The former moaned her appreciation when slick, tight walls fluttered around her girth in their efforts to accommodate her size. "Damn, I don't know what you were worried about. I told you you'd be just as tight as before." Irene chuckled and began rolling her hips, gasping at the way the head nudged her walls. Her nails scratched gently at the backs of Wendy's shoulders as her pace slightly increased. She worked her body in such a wave-like motion that seemed to satisfy the both of them and went from there, moaning with each downstroke.

Having already come twice that evening, it was no surprise that Irene was unable to outlast her partner. With a kittenish mewl, she finished for a third and final time, but continued rocking her hips as best she could while feeling almost painfully oversensitive. "Hurry." She squeaked in a desperate plea. Understanding exactly what she meant, Wendy wrapped her arms around Irene's middle, pulling her flush against her front while she pounded away as swiftly but as gently as possible. The omega's tiny fists bunched up the material of Wendy's shirt while she waited patiently for her to finish.

Luckily, within only a few more thrusts, Wendy was unloading into the condom with a gravelish grunt. As an added bonus for her act of kindness, Irene was granted one last high out of it as well. The duo stayed like that for quite some time; panting against one another with their tired bodies still connected. When she was feeling well enough to move, Irene made an effort to detach herself only to whine from the pain it had caused. Not wanting to hurt her any further, Wendy gently urged her to lay down until the pain eased enough for them to separate. 

"This reminds me of the last time I was knotted," Irene snorted while staring up at the ceiling with her lover cuddled in close beside her."

"How long ago was that?"

"Seulgi was the last," She thought quietly to herself for a moment. "I can't believe that was almost a full year ago."

"Neither can I," Wendy replied with a forlorn sigh. "The pups will be celebrating their first birthday before we know it." Irene returned her attention to the recessed lighting up above.

Something had been bugging her lately and it was growing more apparent now than ever before. For while, she had felt robbed of her youth. The so called best years of her life she had spent living under the microscope of the Korean music industry -- whether it be training for it or actively being a part of it. While she appreciated being one of the lucky ones, it had left her pretty damaged. In her youth, she had to mature quickly to be the only voice of reason for her younger sister. From there, she became one of the eldest within the third generation of Kpop and was given the position of leader within her group. She never truly knew what it was to be a kid -- to make stupid mistakes and learn from them and not have to worry about potential consequences of such actions. She had to be her parents' perfect little omega to be bred and sold like a thoroughbred racehorse. Now, here she was; nearing thirty-one and already a mother of three, soon to be mated to the love of her life and while she wouldn't trade the pups or Wendy for the world, she couldn't help but wish she could get a few years back.

"Wannie?"

"Hmm?" 

Irene contemplated asking such a silly question, but did so against her more mature sense of judgment. "Do you want to build a fort with me?"

Wendy rolled her head and smiled dreamily. "A fort? May I ask why?"

"'Cus I wanna sleep in it with you." Wendy chuckled at the way her unnie curled into her like a pouty child.

"Alright," She caved, patting the older woman's shoulder. "But first we have to...." The couple both looked down to where their bodies were still joined.

After having plenty of time to get over her oversensitivity, Irene was able to slide right off of Wendy without much trouble. From there, the couple began to build a makeshift fort from pieces of furniture, blankets, and couch cushions right there in the middle of the living room. They may or may not have gotten side tracked in the heat of an all-out pillow fight (there is no substantial evidence to prove or disprove such an event from existing) but they managed to build a cozy little space that satisfied Irene's sudden urges to feel that sense of childlike wonder again.

There was a certain twinkle in Irene's eye as she looked up at the shadows Wendy's phone flashlight casted over the blanket they had draped over the chairs they snatched out from under the kitchen table. The beta recalled seeing that same shimmer during the treasure hunt earlier that day and the sight of it never failed to make her smile. It meant that she was happy, and if Irene was happy, then Wendy was happy too. However, there was a hint of sadness there too. Wendy watched Irene's hand trace over her scar absent-mindedly and felt the need to check up on her.

"What's the matter? Is everything alright?" She inquired while gazing intently at the side of her lover's beautiful face. For a while, Irene said nothing -- opting instead to continue staring up at the blanket suspended over their heads before she mustered the means to speak her mind.

"Do you ever regret becoming an idol?" Wendy thought quietly to herself, not sure whether she should speak her truth or not. "It's okay if you don't," Irene assured her. "I was just curious." 

"I guess there were times where I questioned my abilities, but I can't say that I've ever regretted it," She replied sincerely. "Why? Have you?" Irene took a deep breath in through the nose.

"I'm not sure." Wendy quirked her lips in quiet concern, but all of that melted away the moment Irene rolled over to snuggle with her. She smiled fondly to herself and inspected the texture of the older woman's raven hair.

"Well, think of it this way; if you hadn't become an idol, you never would've met me or the others and our little ones wouldn't exist. That, and you'd be mated to some rich alpha right about now. Maybe have a few of his kids toddling around instead."

"On second thought, I definitely don't regret it." Wendy chuckled and gently kissed the top of her head, wrapping her arms around her more securely out of distaste towards her own statement. Imagining Irene with anyone but herself made Wendy want to cry, but there was some sense of truth there. While being an idol certainly wasn't for the feint of heart, Joohyun's career as Red Velvet's Irene was the only thing that was protecting her from having to abide by her parents' wishes. Who knows where she would be if she had chosen a different path? Probably barefoot and pregnant in a mansion somewhere, if Wendy was to be completely honest with herself. However, fortunately for them, that was not the reality they lived in. Rather, Irene belonged right where she was; cuddled up in the loving arms of a lowly beta, the sire of her youngest child, who was soon to be her mate.

Wendy couldn't help but smile at the thought of it.

When she opened her eyes again, Irene was breathing deeply beside her -- already fast asleep. It was somewhat disappointing since she wanted to chat some more, but Wendy figured rest was far more important. Bidding her dreaming lover goodnight, Wendy turned off her phone's flashlight and closed her eyes once more; listening to the calming sounds of her partner's steady breathing and the wind rustling through the pine trees outside until she too drifted off into peaceful slumber. 

* * *

It had to be three in the morning when there was a firm knock at the door.

Groaning with a thick mane of bed head sticking out in all directions, Seulgi rubbed her sleepy eyes and managed to haul herself up out of bed. If it were up to her, she would've ignored it and gone back to bed, but with three teething pups, they were lucky to have gone this long without any further interruptions to their sleep schedules -- or lack thereof. Still drowsy, she lumbered across the living room towards the door just as another round of knuckles against oak wood made her cringe.

_If the pups wake up because of this, I think I'll cry._

When she reached the entrance, she made an attempt to see who could possibly be paying them an unexpected visit at such an ungodly hour, but failed and wound up answering the door anyway. She poked her head out and squinted. As her eyes adjusted to the halo emanating from the porch light, she could make out the figure of a young woman standing in front o the door. Her face somehow looked familiar, but Seulgi couldn't put her finger on it in her sleepy stupor. 

"Uh, can I help you?" She grumbled.

"Is my sister here? I must speak with her urgently."

"Um, who are you?" Seulgi rasped while yawning and rubbing her left eye.

"Haeun," The girl said with a polite bow. " _Bae_ Haeun."


	43. XLIII

Wendy woke up with a smile on her face, though not because of the morning sunshine. She opened her weary eyes and sighed up at the cream-colored blanket suspended above her -- still performing its given task of making their little fort feel that much cozier. Quickly she noticed Irene's absence at her side and figured she had gotten up to make herself breakfast or the like. However, that assumption was almost immediately debunked. As the fog in her head began to clear, a warm, pleasant sensation made her moan a little.

She looked down and was somewhat surprised to have met the searing eyes of her lover. For a split second, they maintained that mutual gaze before Irene returned to focusing on the task at hand; getting Wendy off. Her hand gently rubbed up and down Wendy's pale thigh while the most naughty yet somehow arousing slurping sounds drowned out those of the birds singing outside. Her head bobbed steadily in an almost leisurely way, as though she was some sort of expert at cock sucking and, at least by Wendy's standards, she may as well have been.

A lone hand got lost in tousled raven locks and gently gripped the back of her beloved's head, guiding her long nods. Irene didn't seem to mind. She allowed her partner to control the pace and continued creating wonderful sensations by using her cheeks as a vacuum. Wendy's breathing became more erratic as she inched her way closer and closer to release.

"Stop if you don't want to swallow." The raven's mouth detached from her lover's length with a wet pop. With her original plan in motion, she watched intently from the sidelines as Wendy roughly stroked herself to completion; grumbling and groaning as thick spurts of warm come flowed from her tip down her length to pool around the base where a knot would have formed had she been an alpha. Irene watched it flow from her place between Wendy's legs and smiled up at her panting lover.

"Good morning." She chirped, giggling a bit while moving back to her side of the fort. She slithered up to meet Wendy in a sweet greeting kiss.

"Morning," Wendy all but wheezed, taking a second to look down at the mess she had made of herself. "Wow. Now _that's_ a way to wake up." Her omega counterpart chuckled softly beside her and traced random shapes on her bare abdomen with her finger. She didn't say it, but she had greatly appreciated Wendy's considerate warning before her picky mouth would have been filled to the brim with seed. It wasn't that she thought Wendy's ejaculation was gross, she was just sensitive when it came to certain textures. It was an aversion that branched from the same vein as her love for smelling almost everything she came into contact with. She wasn't sure why she was this way, but she was grateful to Wendy for respecting it regardless.

Wendy's head rolled to the side. She wanted to get a good, long look at her partner -- not because anything was necessarily wrong with her, but simply because she enjoyed admiring her and everything she did. After all, this was the angel she would be spending the rest of her life with. Parts of her still couldn't believe that such a goddess had chosen her for a mate. It felt like she was living out a really long fever dream -- one she hoped she would never wake up from and, to some extent, Irene felt the same way.

The duo laid under the protection of their makeshift fort, listening to the peaceful sounds of the morning while Irene fiddled with her lover's hand. Wendy smiled at her and made no moves to stop her menstruations, opting instead to watch the older woman play with her fingers like a curious child. Over time, the omega's lips formed the pout she made whenever she was thinking about something that was of some form of significance to her.

"Seungwannie..."

"Hmm?" Wendy shifted her head to look from her hand in her partner's up to her pretty little face, though Irene still.

"How many pups do you want?" The question had certainly caught her off-guard, especially since Irene's poor body had seemingly just gotten over having the triplets. Still, it was a fair enough question. Irene had never really mentioned having any more kids outside of the hypothetical, though perhaps this was a hypothetical question as well. Out of uncertainty, Wendy gave the best, safest answer she could.

"I don't need a big family. As long as it'll be your family too, I'll be happy." Irene snorted and dropped Wendy's hand.

"You're so cheesy."

"Only because that question all depends on you," Wendy confessed. "At the end of the day, you'll be the one carrying them so it's only fair that you decide how many." That seemed to get Irene's gears turning. As an omega, her brain would undergo a sort of amnesia affect where she would forget the pain of childbirth. It was just another form of nature's trickery to ensure that the population survived, as sleazy as it may be. On top of that was the fact that Irene had already gotten a c-section thus making it highly probable that any future births would need to be undergone in the same way as well. What's more, since Irene was a prime, there was a high chance that a few of those possible births would involve twins. A c-section was a major abdominal surgery that quite literally cut organs opened and required certain ones to be removed temporarily in order to retrieve the baby. Not to mention the three excruciating days of bedrest that came afterwards all the while trying to tend to the newborn -- multiple newborns, if you were a prime. Irene's body would only be able to handle so many of those procedures before it would be too much, assuming she would need them to begin with. Still, it worried Wendy so, both as a lover and a friend.

As if speaking her thoughts into actions, Wendy's thumb traced back over the deep scar on her lover's tummy. It served as both a pleasant and painful reminder of all that the omega had gone through to bring her three little ones into the world. But while the mark had no longer hurt Irene, it certainly hurt Wendy. Irene noticed the worry in her lover's eyes and reached down to take the hand tracing her scar in her own.

"When we move into our own place, can we try for another baby?" The hopefulness in Irene's voice and eyes hurt Wendy's heart. As much as she wanted to say yes, to give her partner the sun and stars, she couldn't. As a prime, Irene would always instinctively want another baby to fill the missing piece she was fated to inevitably find in her family -- no matter how big it grew. Unlike a normal omega, her reproductive years would carry on throughout her lifetime, never reaching the stopping point of menopause. They could have a pup at ninety if they really wanted to. Still, Wendy wasn't sure. As much as she wanted to have more kids with Irene, she didn't want to risk the life of her mate to get them.

"We'll see." Irene seemed contempt with that answer. She smiled and cuddled closer into Wendy's side. That sweet smile soon faded to a frown, however, upon noticing the way the latter was gazing up at the stitching on the blanket above their heads -- seemingly neck deep in thought. She quickly thought up an idea to ease her mind.

"Hey," The first note leaving her lover's mouth immediately caught Wendy's undivided attention. "What if I made you breakfast and you, I don't know..." She paused and bit her lip, flirtatiously fiddling with the material of Wendy's shirt.

"Are we talking kitchen sex?" Wendy chuckled, though she didn't seem at all opposed to the idea.

"Maaaaybe." The petite blonde laughed a little louder as Irene made a move to lay completely on top of her. It's not like she needed any more convincing, but the gesture was adorable nonetheless.

"It's not like you to be this frisky," She giggled, leaning away from a barrage of sappy kisses Irene had strategically placed to butter her up. "Is there something in the water?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it's just you." Irene shot her a playful wink as she moved to get up. When she stood and began to walk off towards the kitchen, all Wendy could see were a pair of legs and the bottom seam of the flannel shirt still sloppily adorning her frame. Hidden from her partner's view, Wendy blushed and took a mental screenshot of the image her eyes had been blessed with. "Seungwan-ah!" The omega whined impatiently from the kitchen. Wendy giggled and gave her head a shake as she moved to crawl out from under the fort to join her lover in preparing the most important meal of the day.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!"

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere on the other side of Seoul, Bogum's bachelor pad was beginning to look less like a home and more like the scene of an interrogation.

Three of the house's residents had gathered in the living room like a pack of jackals, staring their unwanted guest down with daggers in their eyes. As far as they were concerned, no member of the Bunsung Bae bongwan was trustworthy even though Haeun had done nothing to cross their good sides. They couldn't take any chances, not with three young pups sleeping quietly just a door away; a door Joy had made a point to stand directly in front of, guarding it with her arms folded protectively across her chest.

Only the steady ticking of the antique clock sitting in the corner gave the room life along with a firm tap of wood meeting someone's hand. Yeri had been tapping the palm of her hand repeatedly with an old baseball bat she had found in the garage, trying her best to look threatening, only to feel the warmth of Seulgi's hand touching her in a silent plea for her to stop.

The prime's elegant eyes returned their focus immediately to Irene's little sister -- though referring to her as 'little' was rather ironic considering Joy's height was only a few measly centimeters shy of her own. She had the body of a runway model but the face befitting of a stereotypical girl-next-door type. While Irene looked more like their father, Haeun took after their mother with her height being the only exception. It would be hard to guess they were siblings without context. She was pretty, but not in the same way her sister was. While Irene had an ethereal beauty about her, Haeun's was more down-to-earth and relatively understated in comparison. She had the type of attractiveness that preferred not to draw attention to itself and usually flew under everyone's radar -- especially when standing beside the likes of her older sister.

"So let me get this straight; you ran away from home, found your sister's current place of residence, and now what? Are you looking for a favor?" The girl seated on the couch refused to lift her head and make eye contact with anyone else in the room. Instead, she stared down at the floor as if she was being held at gunpoint and lifting her chin would give her the death sentence. 

"Sorry," She all but whispered. "I'd-d just like to sp-speak with her, please." The residents were quickly realizing that Haeun had quite the stutter and was just as shy as her older sister only much less intimidating in spite of her height advantage. She was a beta and yet she was acting more like a stereotypical omega than even an omega themselves. While Irene was quiet but carried herself with confidence, Haeun was meek and even more soft spoken than the former somehow. Perhaps it was due to her choppy speech pattern.

"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but she's not here right now," Joy spoke. "She'll be gone for the rest of the week, so you can go ahead and run that by your father. I'm sure he'll be _happy_ to hear it." Haeun pursed her lips and blinked her eyes rapidly as though she was forcing back a few tears. The world outside of Daegu felt so much bigger and more terrifying than she could have ever anticipated. That said, being criticized by her sister's friends was better than going straight home only to be beaten within an inch of her life. It was already too late for her to turn back. As soon as the sun rose, her parents would notice her disappearance when she would inevitably fail to emerge from her room to carry out her daily chores.

"I won't be t-telling them anything," She bleated as softly as a lost lamb alone in a den full of hungry wolves. "I'm s-sorry. I just... want to s-see my unnie." The cold, calculating expressions on the others' faces swiftly softened, though they made sure not to drop their guard entirely. Haeun was practically a stranger to them, and without Irene there to tell them whether she was a friend or a foe, they had no choice but to assume the latter.

Unbeknownst to them, the last time Haeun had seen her older sister came in a passing glance during the group confrontation with their parents. Haeun had hidden herself away in the kitchen, listening in on bits and pieces of their conversation. All of the hullabaloo that came afterwards had frightened her into hiding in the hall bathroom and crying with her hands held tightly over her ears. She hated being so useless; unable to at least try to defend her heavily pregnant sister, but as much as she liked Joohyun, she feared their parents more. Now, her big sister was the only family she had left. If she denied her -- rightfully so for being a wet blanket -- what would she do then?

"Thank you for your t-t-time, I'm sorry for in-intruding," She murmured with tears rolling down her porcelain cheeks. As Haeun rose to show herself out, the resident trio exchanged a few glances -- each one worth a thousand words.

"Wait," Joy sternly called after her, prompting Haeun to pause in her efforts to leave. "You can stay until Joohyun unnie arrives. After that, we can't help you. You'll have to take that up with your sister." A grateful smile formed dimples in the young woman's cheeks and she bowed to properly pay her respects.

"Thank you, alpha." The raven visibly grimaced at such a proper form of address, but chose to let it slide without acknowledgement.

"I guess you could stay in her room," Seulgi semi-awkwardly pondered while showing the girl down the small hallway. "She's probably more keen on sharing one with Seungwan anyway. Then again, maybe the couch would be better..." Haeun turned to her with an oblivious tilt of the head.

"S-Seungwan?" Realizing her slip of the tongue, Seulgi glanced back towards the maknaes for a life line. Yeri's palm smacked loudly against her forehead while Joy just shook her head and cleaned the dirt out from under her nails. 

"Um, that's a story for another time," The dense bear chuckled, sweat beading on her brow. "Erm, why don't you go ahead and get settled!" Haeun simply looked down at her empty person then back up at Seulgi. "R-right!" She laughed, rubbing the nape of her neck while hissing a quiet prayer through her teeth.

In the meantime, Yeri grabbed Joy by the sleeve and practically dragged her into the kitchen for a quick pep-talk while Haeun was distracted. "Unnie, this is crazy! We barely know her!" The shorter girl whisper-shouted. "I mean, what if she was sent here as a spy to hurt the pups or something? It sounds like she already has a guilty conscience since she's done nothing but stutter and apologize since she got here! Shouldn't we call Joohyun unnie?"

"No!" The alpha sternly objected. "The last thing they need is anything ruining their time together," Joy glanced around the corner as Seulgi continued speaking to their new guest in the small corridor between Wendy and Irene's bedrooms, subtly locking Wendy's door behind her back in case Haeun should feel the urge to snoop. "I don't think Haeun-ssi wants any trouble, but we can at least keep an eye on her until Joohyun unnie can tell us what to do with her." Yeri didn't seem entirely convinced, but figured the plan was sound enough to be satisfactory. Tiny cries coming from the nursery caught the attention of everyone present. "I'll go calm Hui down. You guys focus on keeping Haeun-ssi distracted." Yeri nodded and walked off to join the others while Joy jogged into the nursery, closing the door securely behind her.

"So, uh, how old are you? Wait! Let me guess..." Yeri shot a painfully awkward Seulgi an odd glance while she tried to guess Haeun's age. She could see what she was trying to do; using an onslaught of ice-breaker questions to get an idea of what type of person Haeun was while also corralling her away from the crying pups by blocking the hallway with her body. Still, that didn't make her any less terrible at deception. "You were born in... '99?"

"A-actually, I was b-b-born in May of '96." Haeun said in a somewhat wavering tone, visibly curious about the muffled cries coming from around the corner.

"Woah, really?" Seulgi breathed in astonishment while intentionally leaning against the wall. "You and Sooyoung-ah are the same age then. You look so much younger!"

The prime alpha's body language seemed to have done more than just keep Haeun from roaming. Feeling a bit threatened despite the serious lack of hostility in Seulgi's presentation, she took a few baby steps back and cowered a little. "Oh. I-I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Yeri chuckled. "If I were you, I'd take that as a compliment."

"S-sorry." She bent her head and fidgeted with her hands in front of her. By now, Seulgi and Yeri were already made aware of the way Haeun would apologize for anything she said or did that could possibly conflict with someone else's statements. An excuse or explanation was never provided either. Instead, she always jumped straight to an apology rather than try to state her case as any normal person typically would. 

She was odd, that much they could be sure of.

"So," Yeri began with an attempt at a friendly smile. "Would you rather stay in your unnie's room or on the couch? Take your pick." Haeun was visibly taken aback by such a direct inquiry. Never had her personal preferences or opinions been taken into such careful consideration before. She was always told what to do and where to be from the moment she was born up until just a few short hours ago and she had been brainwashed into liking it that way so the question may as well have been spoken in a foreign language to her. When no clear answer came, Yeri figured it would be easier for them to keep an eye on her if she crashed on the couch. In which case, she wouldn't have the freedom to go rooting through her sister's things either, though most of Irene's belongings were safely locked away in Wendy's room regardless. 

"Just hang tight for a sec, I'll go grab you a blanket and a pillow." Haeun stood stiffly in place and nodded, watching as Seulgi wandered off towards the laundry room. She looked down at Yeri with wide, almost petrified eyes as the maknae walked over to the couch. She looked at her over her shoulder expectantly, surprised when Haeun didn't follow.

"Well? Are you coming or what?" She giggled. Meanwhile, Haeun felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, a prime alpha had just told her to stay put, but Yeri was now asking her to move. In the end, she decided she feared the alpha's wrath more than Yeri's.

"B-but the alpha told me to st-stay put." Yeri laughed and rolled her eyes, walking back over towards the flustered beta standing in the middle of the hallway where Seulgi had left her. 

"Oh, please. Nobody listens to Seulgi unnie around here." Haeun gasped a little in surprise when Yeri grabbed her by the wrist and physically walked her over to the couch just as Seulgi appeared from around the corner -- blanket and pillow in hand. Haeun closed her eyes and braced herself to receive her scolding, probably a few bruises as well, but she was bewildered to find that such punishments never came.

"Alright, looks like you're all set," Seulgi chirped while fluffing her pillow. "Don't hesitate to speak up if you need anything, alright?" Haeun did a deep bow and squeaked a little when the prime gave her a reassuring pat on the arm before walking away once more to join Joy in the nursery. With eyes as wide as saucers, Haeun gently rubbed the area on her arm Seulgi had touched in confusion. Weren't prime alphas supposed to be aggressive? Was Seulgi just holding off on confronting her until later when everyone else was asleep?

Yeri quirked a brow and looked up at the string bean standing beside her. She could see that Haeun was thinking about something. Her immediate assumption was that the glossy shimmer in her eyes was due to infatuation, not the intrigue that came with being subjected to a whole new world outside of her parents' home. A bullet of jealousy sank into the soft tissue of Yeri's heart, but as usual, she brushed it off with a snarky comment.

"Just as I thought," She chuckled while rearranging a few of the couch cushions. "Everyone has a crush on Seulgi at some point." 

"A... crush?"

"Yeah. You know, a crush. Like, when you _really_ like someone?" That explanation didn't seem to remedy Haeun's confusion in the slightest. "Wait, you've never had a crush before!?"

Such a surprised tone made Haeun nervous. "I'm s-sorry! I'll t-try harder to have a... crush?" Yeri sighed, realizing that this conversation was getting them nowhere, and snorted in spite of it all.

"Alright, well. While you work on that, I'll be up in the attic if you need anything. You're free to come join me if you want." She paused for a moment to see if their guest would follow, but Haeun made no moves to take her up on her offer to which the younger just shrugged. Haeun watched diligently from her place on the couch as Yeri carved a path through the kitchen towards the staircase waiting on the other side.

Unsure of where her hosts wanted her to go next, she stayed put, sporting her perfect posture, and patiently waited for any further instruction. In the meantime, her innocent brown eyes danced around the living room. Nothing was made from animal skins which, to her, seemed odd in and of itself. There were no weapons or pelts on display, only decorations following the home's North American woodland theme.

As her eyes continued their almost robotic analysis, they landed on a framed photo propped up on the coffee table. She took a moment to check her surroundings, hearing but not seeing Seulgi and Joy hushing the whimpering pups nearby, and picked up the picture out of curiosity. The man smiling in the photograph had a familiar, objectively handsome face. Haeun recognized him as Park Bogum; her sister's (supposed) fiance.

So was all of the drama from before just a diversion? Were Irene and Bogum still in courtship? They must have been, why else would her sister have a photo of him sitting in her house?

Haeun smiled fondly and rested the picture on her lap, sighing as she continued exploring what she could see of the house with her gaze. It was good to know that her sister was still fulfilling her duties to the bongwan in mating Bogum, even if her parents weren't too fond of her early pregnancy -- or so she assumed. In the midst of the fight that had occurred on the day her unnie came home for a brief visit with their parents, a lot of important information had been misconstrued in Haeun's mind. As far as she knew, Irene and Bogum were still set to be wed -- already with their first litter that must have been crying in the other room. In the midst of all of this change, it was nice to have some sense of normalcy around her.

Still, it irked her that she couldn't quite figure out why her sister's alphan group mates were the ones looking after her pups while she was nowhere to be found. An omega's place was in the home, after all. Shouldn't she be tending to meal preparations at this hour rather than out gallivanting with Bogum, distracting him from his work? Perhaps Bogum simply wasn't the authoritative type. That, or he was more hesitant to scold Joohyun due to her perplexing beauty.

Haeun could feel a pair of eyes watching her and flinched a little in fear. She whipped her head around -- an action that made her shiny, wavy black hair move along with the motion -- and spotted the resident alpha nearest to her height peering at her with narrowed eyes through the crack in a nearby door. When she noticed the frightened look in Haeun's eyes, Joy shot her a tight-lipped smile to ease any possible tension her actions may have evoked and disappeared behind the door, bouncing baby Sooyun in her arms. Meanwhile, Haeun nervously rubbed her sweaty palms together in her lap and continued observing her surroundings while she tried to stabilize her erratic heart rate.

What an odd household her unnie lived in.


	44. XLIV

It was a beautiful, clear night -- not a cloud in the sky that could block the view of a beautiful full moon. Nocturnal creatures had come out to play in the clearing surrounding the private villa; opossums, bats, owls, and the like. A lonely moth had fluttered its way into a bug zapper, shocking itself and falling to the ground, though the fatal buzz had gone completely unnoticed by the couple locking lips in the shallow end of the pool due to the thick panes of glass sheltering them from the cold night air.

The light of the moon and the warm glow coming in from the living room danced on the choppy surface of the water, not that the couple really needed much visibility with their eyes closed. The two women's passionate kiss ended with a wet smooch that echoed off of the glass walls surrounding the poolside in case either of them had missed it. With her arms still wrapped around her naked lover's neck, Irene dipped her head backwards into the water and came back up with a smile. Wendy returned the soft gesture and crouched down so that the water nearly reached her lips. 

Irene's eyes widened a little in surprise, but her signature laugh soon bounced off of the walls as her lover lifted her up from the backs of her knees so that she was perched just above her pelvis and slowly walked towards the nearby steps leading out of the pool. "Aren't I too heavy for you?"

"Nope. You're as light as a feather." And there was a lot of truth to that. Thanks to the buoyancy of the water, Wendy's tiny frame was capable of lifting her slightly taller girlfriend; something she wouldn't be capable of doing without it, not that she would ever say it out loud.

When they reached the shallowest region of the pool, Wendy set Irene down on one of the middle stairs and placed a supporting hand beside her bare bottom to keep herself anchored from floating away as they met for another kiss. Her free hand gently rubbed up and down the omega's thigh beneath the water's surface -- an action that made Irene smirk as their tongues continued softly stroking one another's.

All of a sudden, without much warning, two fingers sank into Irene's warmth causing her to moan in both pleasure and surprise. Since the water made lubrication a bit more of an issue, Wendy kept her strokes slow and gentle; focusing more on the sensation than speed. The back of Irene's wet head rested against the concrete as small croons of pleasure were pulled from her throat. The lack of slick had allowed her to appreciate the raw friction she couldn't feel before. Wendy's fingers dragged against her sensitive walls in such a way that made her back arch and her toes curl. The tips of those digits reached the spot deep inside of her that made her release a long sigh of a moan.

With a few more slow thrusts and some added stimulation to her sweet spot, Irene came with a low grunt; her walls grabbing onto Wendy's fingers before eventually letting them go. The beta soon found that Irene's molten heat was much warmer than the cool water surrounding them. They had decided to go skinny dipping around sunset and, somehow, had managed to continue doing so long afterwards. Due to their shared fear of deep water, the couple stayed in the shallow end and had a ball splashing one another and playfully teasing each other until the moon loomed high in the sky. However, the water was beginning to feel cold and Wendy didn't want either of them to get sick so she figured it was time to rinse off the chlorine in a warm shower and head off to bed. 

The beta wrapped her soaked but smiling omega counterpart in a towel and did the same for herself only to keep the drippage at a minimum between the back patio and the master bathroom. The couple's bare feet pitter-pattered across the hardwood floors; Irene gasping and giggling in amusement when Wendy nearly slipped and fell right in front of her.

Once they had safely reached their destination, Irene quickly closed the door only to find her bare back pressed against the cool surface of it with her wrists held beside her head as Wendy hungrily ravaged her mouth. She hummed and smiled into the kiss, feelings of lust, love, bliss, and relaxation pumping through her veins. She let her head hit the door with a soft thump and her hands came down to rub Wendy's arms as her lover's lips moved to tease her neck. Her tongue licked a small stripe over her scent gland and Irene nearly passed out from the sensation. Needless to say, it wasn't very hard for the beta to notice her lover's hypersensitivity. 

"It'll be tonight, won't it." Irene opened her eyes, flashing her nothing more than a sweet smile. She didn't need to. Wendy was already practically glowing with excitement. Assuming all went well, after tonight, Irene would permanently belong to Wendy and in return, Wendy would tie herself to that same string of fate on her own accord.

The fact that Irene had become so sensitive to her touch just proved the sincerity of her words every time she told Wendy she loved her. Even though she had some difficulty letting her guard down long enough to express those emotions verbally, it was a sign that Irene was willing to sacrifice her freedom to take the a(dork)able Wendy as her sweet, sweet, mate for life and such an implication had made the beta's heart melt straight down to the floor. The giggling omega weakly tried to push Wendy away as her face and neck were showered in a multitude of butterfly kisses, but to no avail.

"Mine, mine, mine." Wendy chirped playfully as each of her three kisses landed on Irene's cheek. 

"And _you're;_ mine, mine, mine." Irene quipped back, tapping Wendy's nose with her finger making the latter put on the most precious smile Irene had ever seen aside from those of her children, of course. Wendy chuckled and ran a hand through her damp, platinum blonde bob. 

"Just you wait, Miss Bae. You're about to be spoiled for the rest of your life."

There was something more sentimental about Irene's smile. It was as though she was looking twenty years into the future and was happy with what it had in store for them. "I'm looking forward to it." Wendy sent her own smile back and took Irene's hand in hers; leading her towards the shower and helping her gingerly step inside while she turned the water on to a warm enough temperature.

When she was through adjusting the dial, Wendy stood in front of her lover and kissed her wet forehead before reaching for the shampoo. They took turns helping each other rinse off; scrubbing suds into one another's hair then running conditioner through it and admiring the texture of the other's strands before moving on. Once the actual cleaning portion was done, Irene dropped to her knees and took Wendy's length in her hand, giving it a few pumps.

"Wait! Before you do that..." Irene looked up at her expectantly, seemingly worried that Wendy was somehow losing her newfound confidence and was readying herself to reassure her only to have those assumptions completely shut down. "Stand up, please. I want to try something on you first."

"But I still owe you at least four orgasms." Irene said with a pout, but stood up anyway.

"We're not keeping score, unnie," The blonde chuckled while wiping a few wet raven locks away from her lover's cheeks. "Please?" Irene hesitated, but relented and allowed Wendy to grab her shoulders and move her back so that her back was against the cold tile of the shower wall. She then urged her to rest her foot on her shoulder to open herself up more and at that point, Irene knew exactly what she was getting at. "I've never done this before, so please tell me if I do something wrong. I want to learn." Irene nodded and ran a hand through Wendy's nearly white hair, moaning when a warm, wet tongue licked her entrance.

Almost right away, she could tell that Wendy was too focused on her lower lips which had made her unintentionally neglect her clit. She softly instructed the woman between her legs on where to go and what felt nice in a combination with her fingers. Pretty soon, Wendy was working her over like an expert. She even managed to find spots that Irene herself didn't even know about. In her head, Wendy was logging all of the cheat codes she could find -- ones that held the key to what the omega liked most.

Her tongue squirmed inside of Irene's tight channel, lapping up the flavor as she slowly worked her up, but not quite to an orgasm. Oral just wasn't Irene's cup of tea, but if it made her partner happy, then she would be more than willing to participate every now and again. Besides, as a woman, she couldn't reach orgasm every time she had sex regardless of her prime status. Still, she didn't want to make Wendy upset if she was unable to come from it, so she figured she would guide her in a direction that was sure to garner much better results.

"Try adding a few fingers." Wendy obeyed and inserted two of her talented fingers, immediately crooking them against the spongy patch on Irene's front wall. The feeling of completion came without the waterworks though Wendy didn't seem to mind. She was just happy she got to learn more about her lover's body that night. Irene wanted to return the favor, but the water was beginning to get cold and there was a mist setting in over the waters of her subconscious. It was time to put Wendy up to the test.

The omega was ready to mate.

* * *

Joy padded her way from her and Yeri's bedroom into the kitchen -- face coated in a thick layer of mint green goop. She figured that since Irene and Wendy were off on their own little soiree that she should get some time for self care as well. And what better way to do that than with a little spa treatment?

She lifted her chin with all of the poise of an arrogant aristocrat to see if the cucumber slices she had retrieved from the refrigerator would fit over her eye sockets. Having heard a pair of slippers shuffling across the floorboards, Yeri looked up from her magazine. It took a moment for the visual to register, but when it did, she cackled hysterically and slapped her hand against the surface of the table -- a bit of a dramatic and exaggerated reaction by anyone's standards, but it was Yeri after all so it came as no surprise. The laughing maknae gazed up at the state of her youngest unnie in disbelief. 

"I seriously thought you were an alien! Maybe give me a warning next time before you come walking in here looking like Green Mask!" Joy shot her a few daggers, but refused to add any fuel to the fire. She opted instead to ignore the maknae and shuffle her way back towards their shared bedroom with her dignity trailing close behind. However, something seemed to be missing which made Joy's progress halt for a moment. When she realized a particular person's absence, it hit her.

"Where's Haeun-ssi?"

"I don't know." The maknae replied with a passive shrug, turning one of the pages in her magazine like everything was fine and dandy. Meanwhile, Joy's heart sank to the pit of her stomach.

"You _lost her!?_ " 

"Well, I wouldn't say I _lost_ her, more like _misplaced_ her." 

Joy groaned in the ugly hybrid of frustration and sheer panic. As much as she wanted to chew Yeri out for being so unashamedly irresponsible, she knew that finding Haeun should be the first thing on her list of priorities with making sure the pups were alright being the second. What if Yeri was right to be so suspicious of her early on? What if she was relaying information back to her parents, or worse; was sent to harm the pups so that they would be scratched from the extended portion of the Bae family tree?

It was a bit of a stretch, though not unlikely given the way Irene and Haeun had been treated growing up. They had both been their parents' slaves at some point in time; Irene as their ticket to gaining a higher social standing and Haeun as their own personal maid servant. In a way, the triplets had thrown a wrench into that scummy situation. Both directly and indirectly, Irene's unexpected pregnancy had managed to get both sisters onto a path with a meaningful destination rather than meeting a dead end wherever their parents had decided to place one. With Irene, her dead end was Bogum. As kind as he may be, marrying Bogum would have set the Baes up for life, but killed their eldest daughter's -- not that they would really care too much about that with their pockets dragging the ground.

And as for Haeun... Well, Joy wasn't so sure. After all, they had only known the girl for a few days. That said, the odds were pointing in the direction of the youngest Bae still being heavily under her parents' influence. Mr. and Mrs. Bae were the ventriloquists and their poor daughter was most likely still their little puppet, jerking in the strings controlling her every move and thought. Despite her claims to have broken free from those strings on her own accord, she still could not be trusted.

And so, Joy stormed off into the living room only to find the couch left completely abandoned, although, at least Haeun had the manners to neatly fold her blanket into a tidy rectangle before disappearing into thin air. She quickly checked to make sure Wendy's lock hadn't been picked -- which it hadn't -- and was relieved to find that Irene's bedroom was left completely untouched. That left only the most crucial location yet to be cleared. 

In reality, Haeun had let her own curiosity get the best of her manners.

She peered into the crib at three little babies as they sneezed, gurgled, and gazed right back at her with such innocent sweetness in their eyes it nearly gave her a toothache. As much as she wanted to hold one, she refrained from doing so without their parents' permission. Instead, she just smiled and watched them interact with one another as well as the toys surrounding them. They were cute and certainly carried more than just a few of her sisters' genes, however, not one of them even remotely looked like Bogum -- an observation Haeun found rather concerning.

A sudden presence in the doorway made her glance over. As she spoke, she shot a rather distressed-looking Joy a smile she hoped would ease her worries. "Are they Joohyun ssi's?"

"Get away from them!"

Haeun jumped in alarm, but did as she was told; ducking her head while stepping away from the crib with her hands clasped together, holding them to her chest defensively. Joy and Seulgi quickly took the pups from their crib -- the former scowling at their leader's younger sister while protectively cradling and shielding her oblivious daughter's head against her shoulder. "What are you doing here!?" 

"I-I'm sorry, I heard them m-m-making noise and-"

"No!" Haeun startled and jittered a little in place at the punch behind Joy's tone. "Why are you _here;_ in this house!? Are you a spy!?"

"N-no! I was just-!"

"Looking at them with a phone in your hand?" Seulgi's words made Haeun's blood run cold. Slowly, she looked down in disbelief, and sure enough, her cell phone had never made it into the pocket of her dress as she had intended it to. She looked back up at the alphas glaring at her. Yeri was now loitering in the doorway behind them with Hyunhui cradled in her arms. She seemed to have noticed the suspicious devise as well and her expression faded into one of sadness and disappointment.

Haeun went as pale as a ghost, her widened eyes swimming with fresh tears. Having been conditioned to be the way that she was, Haeun didn't try to stutter out an explanation of the truth under the assumption that she would be wrong somehow or disrespectful to her hosts by correcting them. The only thing she knew to do was drop her phone, fall to her knees, and give the deepest of bows all the while apologizing profusely, her tears wetting the carpet. 

"I'm sorry," She whispered in a quiet plea for mercy. "P-please forgive me." 

Joy and Seulgi exchanged a somewhat awkward but generally uncertain glance. In the meantime, Rowoon released a high-pitched baby growl and squirmed in Seulgi's arms; his little way of telling her he wanted to play. He couldn't understand why the adults were just standing around in boring silence and he didn't care to try. All he wanted was some time to release the influx of energy he had accumulated during nap time. However, his wishes were not met immediately.

Seulgi walked over and picked up Haeun's phone off of the floor before returning to her place beside Joy. The raven turned to the girl groveling on the floor with a cold glance. "You should count yourself lucky. If you weren't Joohyun unnie's sister, you'd be out on the porch by now. Consider this your first and only warning." 

Haeun swallowed thickly and maintained her position. "Yes, alpha."

" _Don't_ call me that." With that, a rather irritated Joy walked out with baby Sooyun peeking curiously over her shoulder. Yeri followed shortly after leaving Seulgi and Rowoon alone with the pups' biological aunt sniffling in a heap on the floor. Overall, Seulgi felt bad for the girl. Joy had a way of always assuming the worst in people while Seulgi tended to give them the benefit of the doubt. As it was, they had no real proof that Haeun was up to no good, though that's not to say she was innocent either. 

Slowly, she took a few steps closer to the girl and crouched down to her level, supporting babbling Rowoon against her shoulder with her hand."I don't know who you are, but I don't think you have any bad intentions here," She murmured quietly into the silence. "If there's something we're missing, I wish you would speak up. We want to trust you, but it's hard to do that when all you're giving us are vague apologies." She waited patiently for a response that never came. Sighing softly in slight disappointment, Seulgi carefully stood and sauntered off towards the door. However, before she left, she spared Haeun one last glance over her shoulder. "I'm going to hang on to your phone. Just until your sister comes home." After Seulgi stated her piece, the door of the nursery creaked, though it never fully closed.

Even after she was aware she was alone, Haeun refused to lift her head. Slowly, she moved her hands out from beneath her forehead and held them against her aching chest. She felt sick inside -- like she had committed the crimes she had been falsely accused of. She had felt this way before; every time her father spat on her and called her useless while her mother did nothing to intervene. If no one objected his statements, surely they must have been true, right? Using that same logic, did this mean she truly did have ill intensions as well? Haeun wasn't so sure. She felt completely disoriented and lost in her surroundings. In reality, she may as well have been a newborn herself. She just wanted someone to tell her who she was and what she should believe in.

When she was through bowing, Haeun straightened herself up and continued sitting on her tingling lower legs; staring down at the carpeted flooring in front of her. She could feel a pair of eyes watching her and lifted her own to find Yeri sitting right outside of the doorway holding a baby with hair as white as snow, patting its back gently. The younger flashed her fellow beta a friendly smile and for a long while, the duo sat several meters apart in silence. Eventually, Yeri slowly got to her feet and comfortably approached her only to sit right back down again -- this time much closer than before. She could see the hesitation in Haeun's eyes, but spoke nothing of it. Instead, she gently passed the baby over to be held by its mother's younger sister. A thick coat of panic was painted across the tall girl's features as the infant was placed in her stiffened arms, but another soft smile from Yeri gave her some sense of comfort. 

She looked down at the tiny pixie of a girl laying half-asleep, willing to trust her biological aunt not to drop her. This stranger's scent was familiar and somewhat reminiscent of her mother's making the small child release a little sigh of comfort through her button nose. Haeun gazed down at her in amazement -- something Yeri took note of right away.

"I think she likes you." She whispered, overseeing the exchange though finding no reason to be wary. She continued to watch the interaction from the sidelines, somewhat surprised to find her unnie's youngest daughter had not made so much as a peep at being held by a complete stranger. 

Haeun drew her twinkling eyes away from the baby and focused them instead on Yeri. "W-what is her name?"

Yeri couldn't wipe the sweet smile from her lips. "Hyunhui."

Haeun adopted one of her own, looking back down at her unnie's child with gentle eyes. "Sh-she looks very much l-like Joohyun ssi. Eomma a-always did say that she would breed beautifu-fully." Her choice in using a rather formal honorific in reference to her own sister puzzled Yeri and, of course, not being one to bite her tongue under the influence of curiosity, she let her questions seek answers.

"Do you always call your unnie so formally?" Haeun seemed a bit caught off guard by such a direct inquiry. Shyly she hid her blush behind a curtain of dark hair, but managed a confirming nod. Yeri found that answer rather jarring, though then again, this was the Bae family they were talking about. They weren't necessarily known for their leniency. "I guess you two aren't very close then, huh." The older pursed her lips and nodded once more as though she was saddened to admit it. 

"We are f-f-five years apart. I was a burden to her," Haeun quietly confessed, much to Yeri's surprise. "Sh-she used to play with me un-until her first heat came. After that, and I didn't see her very often. Only while do-doing chores." 

"That's awful."

"Eomma s-said it was for the best," The older sighed while admiring sleeping Hyunhui. "I-I would have been a ba-bad influence. Sh-she laughed too much with me a-and it would have aged her face. That's what Appa alpha told me." Such a comment made Yeri suddenly glum. Irene was known for having an emotionless resting expression, but she never would have guessed that the strict training regime in her youth would have been the reason why. At least now she was able to laugh and smile freely. If only she had that liberty in the years she needed it most. "The alphas here do not strike." Haeun suddenly murmured. After an awkward pause in the conversation, Yeri realized it was intended to be a question though it had been presented as a statement so as to not offend their way of life. 

"Yeah," Yeri replied through gritted teeth, rubbing the nape of her neck. "We don't really believe in that around here." The taller girl looked at her like she had sprouted a second head.

"Please p-pardon my rudeness, but your methods s-seem flawed. How else wou-would you correct Joohyun ssi?"

"She's our leader. We don't need to correct her often. If anything, she's the one that usually corrects us," Yeri stated matter-of-factly. "But if we needed to, I guess we'd just... use our words?"

"Joohyun ssi is a prime," The older rebuttaled in disbelief. "I-if dominance is not asserted, she wi-will not respect you."

"Well, I think she respects us just fine," Yeri said with a smile while looking down at baby Hyunhui. "Nobody deserves to be in pain -- especially at the hands of someone who's supposed to care for you. I couldn't imagine how angry I'd be if some punk raised a hand to one of the kiddos." The thought seemed to get the rusty gears in Haeun's head turning. She too would hate to see her little nieces or nephew dragged through the same tortuous wringer she and their mother had been put through. Yet even still, she found it quite difficult to shake away the tired old warhorse still limping around her subconscious, just waiting to be put out of its misery.

"Does P-P-Park Bogum nim treat her so gently?" She paused and took a moment to hear herself speak, laughing at such a silly question. "Wh-what am I saying? H-he is her husband and a Hamyang Park -- r-raised in tradition as we were. Surely he must discipline his ma-mate and children. Please forgive my ignorance."

Yeri was simply speechless.

She figured Haeun would have realized their situation by now, but apparently it was wrong of her to assume a girl in such a state of confusion would be able to figure that one out on her own. This was especially true given that the possibility of a bongwan omega partnering up with a "weak alpha" or a common beta was so unfathomable in the eyes of the belief system serving as her foundation when viewing the world around her.

Of course, Yeri managed to find some humor in the older beta's oblivious perspective on things. For all she knew, Irene could already be mated to the one person who never failed to make her smile. The irony in that was just too priceless for Yeri to overlook. She managed to maintain her poker face, and without saying a word, bit her tongue and continued to watch quietly as the ever so peaceful Hyunhui snoozed in Haeun's arms.

* * *

On the other side of the city, a blonde beta glanced up at her lover's face with a look of concern. 

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Irene hissed. "Just sensitive." Wendy flashed the raven a tight-lipped smile, rubbing her back gently in encouragement while she breathed through the adjustment process. She managed to look down, appreciating the view of her cock disappearing and reappearing from within her lover's body like some sort of lewd magic trick. Warm, wet walls pulsed around her length -- a sensation that would never go unappreciated on Wendy's end. However, she couldn't help but notice the abundance of omegan slick already collected at the base of her cock.

Before she could ponder about it some more, the woman straddling her lap began to rock her hips in eager motions, rolling her head and moaning at the satisfying feeling of having her lover inside her. Wendy ran her hand up and down Irene's warm thigh while she watched from below as her omega counterpart responded to her pleasure. Her head slowly rolled from the back to the side, her dark tresses draped over one shoulder as her eyes glanced down at Wendy with a look that screamed seduction. Granted, it didn't have the same erection-inducing effect it had whenever Irene was in heat (not that she needed it then), but it got pretty damn close.

The hand resting on Wendy's right shoulder tensed ever so slightly to accompany a long, needy whine. "Mmm, just sensitive, are we?" She managed to tease through soft breaths.

"I can't help it," Irene panted. "It's just a part of mating heat." Wendy sat up a little and pressed feather-light kisses to the underside of the omega's jaw while she worked -- a move that garnered a pleasant response. Her hands trailed up and down the sides of her partner's slender waist as the tiny whimpers of impending release increased in frequency above her.

"Need some help?" She inquired, receiving a subtle nod in reply. Without missing a beat, her arms wrapped around the petite body in front of her, pulling Irene flush against her front. Her hips rose up off of the mattress to pound away into her lover's warmth. Irene's mouth hung opened in a silent scream, her nails clawing at the backs of Wendy's shoulders as she was pushed closer and closer to the edge with every thrust.

"W-Wen-" The woman Irene was trying to call out for grit her teeth and closed her eyes, sweat beading all over her heated skin as she carried on with great determination. Despite the ache stemming from the exercise, Wendy continued her pace until Irene was begging her not to stop. "Mm! Right there!" She meekly cooed into her lover's ear. Warm puffs of labored breaths against her neck spurred Wendy on until Irene was trembling around her. "C-coming!" With a hoarse cry, Irene collapsed against Wendy, whimpering in overstimulation as she finished. Tight walls massaged Wendy's length, bathing her in liquid gratitude; courtesy of Irene's libidinous body. The blonde's hand rubbed the warm back of her panting lover as she slowly recovered from the euphoric attack on her system.

As expected, that round was merely a warm-up. It wasn't nearly enough to get Irene up to her highest peak, but the plateau had a spectacular view nonetheless. Although, as pretty as it was, Wendy couldn't wait to see it from the mountain top. There was really no doubt about it; tonight would be Wendy's only shot at claiming the lovely Bae Joohyun as her mate. Nature didn't have time for second chances. If she should fail to prove her worth by subduing her, Irene 2.0 would deny Wendy as a capable mate and continue her search elsewhere. It's not to say that they could no longer be together or get married someday, but Wendy didn't want to swallow the fact that such a big piece of Irene would forever be locked away out of her reach. If she could just preserve a bit of her energy after each round... Suddenly, a new thought popped into Wendy's head.

She craned her neck to get a good look at her lover's flushed face. In that moment, Irene's oblivious bunny eyes gazed back at her with nothing but love and lust in them. She was still somewhat out of breath, though was no longer gasping for it.

_Perfect._

Irene blinked in slight surprise and confusion as Wendy slithered out from underneath her. The situation became somewhat awkward; Wendy gazing down at her unknowing lover while Irene looked up at her expectantly, visibly concerned by the unsure look weighing on the younger's features. Wendy had never been good at hiding her feelings. She was just too expressive for it and it was a trait Irene was secretly thankful for every day as it made it so much easier for her to pick up on her lover's changing moods without much need for confrontation to do so. However, it wasn't often she saw Wendy's guilty face so it was rather unnerving to see it pop up on such an important night for the both of them.

"Seungwan-ah?" The beta quickly snapped out of her trance, putting on a smile to save face before pressing an apologetic kiss to Irene's sweaty forehead. She made a move to sit up too, but was surprised to find Wendy's hand urging her to lay back down against the pillows. At this point, Wendy's somewhat odd behavior was putting Irene on-edge. "S-Seungwan-a-?"

"Shhh, just relax," Wendy hushed her, gently kissing the tingling column of her partner's neck. "Let me make you feel good."

"Hmm," The raven hummed softly at the lovely feeling of Wendy's lips on her neck, but was quick to get her train of thought back on track. "W-wait! But you've already been on top several times today! At least let me return the favor." As much as she wanted to take her up on her offer, Wendy pursed her lips and shook her head. It wasn't often she denied her lover anything and she certainly hated to do it during their ritual, however, this was a special case. Whether or not she let Irene take the reins that night could make or break their desired end result. The privilege of marking The Goddess of Peace hung in the balance of Wendy's choices from there onwards. Her primary objective was to maintain dominion over the bedroom until, assuming all went well, her mark became a permanent seal declaring the status of their relationship. Tonight was quite literally the most important night of their lives, aside from welcoming pups into the world, and all of the pressure was now on Wendy's shoulders.

She took a deep, cleansing breath in through the nose to clear her conscience and looked down at her lover with a shimmer of excitement in her eye. The light of the full moon peeking in through the window and thin curtains surrounding the bed illuminated Wendy's right side in its bluish glow. It only further accentuated the twinkle in her eye thus sending Irene's heart aflutter. She watched her partner's fingers trace the scar on her abdomen and suddenly, she felt an overwhelming wave of remorse wash over her. Wendy was the one person she should never feel afraid of and yet she was so quick to assume she had been unfaithful or was just seeing how far she could get before things got too real for her. Those were common denominators in her past relationships, but never her sweet, loyal Wendy. The girl had been with her through it all; from acquaintance, to band member, all the way up to the highest level one could go. She was the first to know about the pregnancy and went out of her way to help make the journey as smooth as possible for Irene. She was the only one who remained completely unbiased towards any one pup, even after knowing that Hyunhui was hers. Her unconditional love for the triplets branched from her unconditional love for her members and Irene was certain there was no one else in this galaxy or he next more pure-hearted or honorable than her very own Wendy. All of Irene's previous concerns and doubts melted away leaving her relaxed and compliant to her lover's desires. Still, it didn't quite blow all of her worries away.

She tucked her chin and shyly looked up at Wendy through long lashes, excited but somewhat fearful of what the beta had in store for her. "What are you going to do to me?"

The blonde put on a greasy smirk, biting her lip and blowing gentle gusts of air across the shell of Irene's ear the way she liked. "Spread your legs and you'll find out." The omega whimpered and obeyed, allowing herself to be rolled onto her back with her knees apart to expose her glistening, pink center before the wandering eyes of her lover. Wendy's eyes flicked up and a more earnest expression replaced her smirk from before. "Do you trust me?" The raven was clearly taken aback by this, swallowing her spit, but nodded.

Little did she know that a half-hour later, she would be almost too tired to continue.

The beta thrust in and out of the omega at such a brisk pace it could have started a fire if not for Irene's slick serving as natural lubricant. Her plan had apparently been working as well as she had hoped; fuck Irene into a state of pure exhaustion that would hopefully make her job a little bit easier when the time came. At this point, Irene was an absolute mess and she was loving every second of it.

Wendy's arms snaked around Irene's middle, lifting her up off of the bed just enough to support the arch of her back. Irene's body went as limp as a rag doll, her limbs and curtain of dark hair swaying gently with each thrust of her lover's cock. She appeared to be a bit out of it though not enough for her to slip into 'omega mode.' Pleading sounds left the omega's throat each time Wendy's swollen length caressed or nudged a spot that made her body sing.

"C'mon, unnie." The beta grunted, humping her lover in time with the headboard banging loudly against the wall. Irene could only whimper in reply. Her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth hung open, releasing a long, sonorous moan as she came one last time with a tired whimper. She immediately fell fell back against the mattress, releasing pathetic mewls of overstimulation on each heaving breath.

Wendy did feel guilty for working her body over so hard, but the dazed look in the woman's eyes coupled with the little bit of drool on her chin let her know that her partner had enjoyed the rough treatment she always seemed to crave -- at least to some extent.

She brushed a few sweat-soaked baby hairs away from the raven's face. "Sorry. You okay?"

"Fuck, you're getting good at that." She breathed making Wendy chuckle.

For a moment, the room fell into comfortable silence save for their combined breaths for new air. Wendy let out a little grunt as she heaved herself back up, though not to mount Irene for another rough session. Instead, she gazed down at her girlfriend with loving eyes, though her mouth remained open to welcome in more oxygen. She leaned on her arm and twisted a strand of ink-colored locks around her finger. As the afterglow began to fade, Wendy spoke her thoughts into existence.

"I'm ready whenever you are."

Irene hummed and reached out to rest her hand over the one Wendy had placed down on the bed to support her weight. The couple closed their eyes and allowed their foreheads to meet; an action that, once again, managed to sooth Irene's nerves. She knew that as soon as she gave Wendy the green light, there would be no going back from there. There would be no second shot at this which was why she wanted to savor the moment in case things wouldn't be so sweet on the other side. Of course, no matter what should happen between then and morning, she also knew that Wendy would always love her just the same and she would reciprocate that love ten fold. So many months and inconveniences had been leading up to this and the both of them were finally about to take that leap of fate.

The air had never felt more clear.

"I'm ready." Wendy smiled and kissed her lips, pulling away to get a good, long look at the girl of her dreams; the one she would sing songs to when no one was listening or in front of a sea of coral lights. The one person she wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life with.

"Tomorrow, when you wake up, you'll have my mark on your neck. I'll guarantee it." Irene chuckled and combed her fingers through the ends of Wendy's platinum blonde hair.

"I can't wait." What was intended to be a tender kiss soon became passionate. Lips meshed together and separated with loud smooching sounds, Wendy's tongue already making it a point to assert itself over Irene's. She took advantage of the prime's building sensitivity, placing butterfly kisses and the occasional hickey all over her lover's flawless body.

Slowly but surely, she worked Irene up again using nothing but lips, teeth, and tongue. When she was sure she could smell arousal, she brought her hands back into the mix. While her tongue lapped at the leaking lotus bloom between the woman's legs, her hands caressed the soft skin of her hips and thighs making her lover moan her appreciation.

A small orgasm spilled onto the beta's tongue, dowsing it in the flavor of Irene's excitement. She savored it, licking her lips and chin while reequipping a condom. The fragrance of roses, warm vanilla, and sex formed a cloud in the air that was kept within the confines of the bed by the curtains flowing in the artificial breeze generated by the ceiling fan. By now it was safe to assume her heat had been successfully induced.

Irene squeaked a little in surprise, finding herself being pulled closer to Wendy by the legs. The latter kept them held from beneath the knee, anchoring them to her hips as her length slowly sank into the warm, soft, and inviting wetness of her lover's entrance. Once she was fully nestled deep inside of her paramour's body, Wendy withheld her own bodily urges for the sake of making sure she was well adjusted before gently beginning to thrust.

Over the span of a few minutes, Wendy's hips began to snap; skin meeting skin in firm claps that served as a metronome to help the beta keep pace. In the meantime, Irene fondled one of her own bouncing breasts in her hand while her beautiful head rolled from side to side in sheer bliss. The more turned-on she became, the more the omega's scent fogged Wendy's head and lungs. As a beta, Wendy had never understood Seulgi and Joy's methods of ducking for cover with their shirts over their noses every time Irene went into heat, but by god, did she get it now. Irene's scent was strong, but it only made Wendy hornier right along with her.

Irene came yet again with an adorable whimper, her legs jittering in Wendy's grip. In just a few more thrusts, her top for the night spilled into the condom, filling it up more than she ever had before. Perhaps Irene's building mating heat had an effect on her body as well. Wendy removed the used condom, careful not to spill its contents, and tossed it into the garbage can beside the night stand while reaching for another. In the end, she figured keeping the strands of foil in the bed with them would be somewhat more efficient than having to peek through the curtain and reach for a new one each time.

When she returned within the luxurious safety of the bed and began to roll the clean one down her shaft, she noticed something rather peculiar. There was a pink ring of skin near the head that wasn't there earlier. Was she growing in response to her lover's heat? If so, she could really use that little boost of confidence right about now.

She spared a glance up at her lover to see if she had noticed as well, but all thoughts in regards to the changes flew out the window at the sight of Irene thrashing about on the bed. Frail squeals and groans of exhaustion managed to slip through her clenched jaw. She was trying to fight off the inevitable for just a little while longer.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Wendy whispered, cradling her lover's face gently. "Don't fight it, let it come."

"I- I can't... _see_ you." She choked out with a few sad tears welling up in her darkened eyes. Her sudden spell of temporary blindness made Wendy a little emotional as well, but she tried her best to see the brighter side of the situation. If anything, just to keep Irene calm.

"I'll be right here as soon as you wake up, okay?" She reassured her. "I promise. I'll make love to you all over again -- as much as you want." Irene cooed quietly in fear and uncertainty, but placed her faith in her lover's capable hands for now. While she couldn't see anything but an ominous grey and black fog, she could feel Wendy's presence in front of her and it wrapped her up like a security blanket. "I love you, you know. I can't wait to be with you." The pad of Wendy's thumb brushed away a single tear that had managed to roll its way down Irene's porcelain cheek. A trembling hand gripped Wendy's, too afraid to let it go just yet despite all of her omegan energy slowly but surely making its way to the surface like some terrifying and unknown species of deep-sea creature.

"I love you too."

Wendy could feel Irene's warm hand clenching and releasing hers in quick pulses at which point her intuition kicked in, telling her to restrain Irene while she still had the chance. She felt bad for doing it while Irene was still in her right mind, but once the main event began, she would be easily overpowered. Wendy urged the omega to lay down on her stomach, pressing light kisses to the backs of her shoulders while typing a bandana behind her head to serve as a screeching buffer, cuffing her hands to the headboard, and securely fastening her ankles together with the rope -- the latter two both being key items Irene had made a point to give to her upon digging them out of the toy chest.

It was pretty painful -- watching Irene being slowly consumed and guzzled down by her inner ego. The beta turned away and closed her eyes as Irene cried out to her at the top of her lungs. Wendy wanted nothing more than to go to her and comfort her in her moment of sheer terror, but this in and of itself would be her first trial. And if you should ask her, she would not hesitate to admit that it was the hardest of them all for her to endure.

Over the next few minutes, Irene's fearful sobs faded into silence. 

While Wendy was busy reapplying a condom at the foot of the bed, the sudden sounds of metal clanking against the iron headboard as well as a few low grumbles of annoyance caught her ear. She looked up, swallowing the lump in her throat as Irene's subtle thrashing only became more and more violent. She feared the possibility of the omega severing off her own hands due to the sheer aggression behind her harsh movements. As far as she could tell, this Irene had yet to notice her, but she wasn't looking forward to it if she was honest. Still, the sooner she subdued the beast, the easier things would be for her in the long run. The longer Wendy procrastinated out of fear and anxiety, the stronger and angrier her opponent would become.

Slowly and cautiously, she made an attempt to sneak up behind her, but the soft mattress dipping beneath her weight alerted the omega almost immediately. Her head snapped around and she glared at Wendy over her shoulder with the most horrifying eyes she had ever seen outside of a movie screen. They were smoky-looking and blood-shot, her irises an amber color that hardly stood out in comparison. From her vantage point, she could see that Irene's mouth was foaming at the corners and her wrists had shallow, bloodied rings around them from her struggle against the handcuffs.

She appeared to be frozen in time. Somehow, the omega's stillness was even more terrifying than her wild display from before. Now, only her pupils moved, following Wendy's form as she made her first half-hearted attempt at mounting her. Just as a hand made contact with her bare back, Irene screeched and thrashed about in reckless abandon, successfully scaring her captor back to the foot of the bed, panting profusely. This almost demonic form of Irene was hardly Irene 2.0. This was a whole new beast entirely; more like Irene 4.0. She had expected some aggression from Irene, but nothing could have prepared her for this.

Wendy tucked her knees against her chest and cupped her hands over her ears to drown out the noise. "I can't do this." She whispered quietly to herself beneath the ear-splitting screams of her lover's prime energy incarnate. When Irene would wake up the following morning, she would have to explain to her that she had failed to fulfill her promise. That missing piece of Irene would be swallowed up by the terrifying beast in front of her, never to be seen again. Irene would spend the rest of her life going through the motions feeling incomplete and Wendy would have to die someday knowing that it was all her fault.

She didn't want to let Irene down. She wanted her to be as happy and fulfilled as humanly possible, but to do so, she had to conquer both of their demons in one foul swoop. After all of the trouble and heartache Irene had suffered through already, she deserved to finally feel at peace with herself. A more selfish part of Wendy wanted to be that missing piece that, once fitted, could make her feel whole.

With a renewed sense of determination, Wendy crawled her way back over to shouting Irene, and without a moment's hesitation, climbed on top of her back. Of course, this did not sit well with the omega. She snarled and screamed and jabbed and flailed, managing to knock Wendy off a few good times, kicking her in all of the wrong places on more than one occasion, but somehow Wendy managed to persevere. Irene 4.0 was simply trying to protect herself against whomever was trying to mount her. Whether they were friend or foe did not matter in the mind of an omega testing their potential mate. All that mattered was strength, endurance, confidence, sire potential, and most importantly, genuine affection.

Getting more than just a little frustrated, Wendy climbed up off of the floor for the fourth time that night with a low grumble. As wonderful as their week had been, she had not expected the ritual to be this chaotic. Deep down, she knew that the omega she was wrestling to subdue was not the one she loved. It was just pure primal energy lured out by a bad heat. That said, it didn't stop her from wanting to smack her one good time. She had gotten upset and maybe even a little angry at the original Irene before, but this was pushing her limits far more than she would like to admit. She would never dare to even consider striking Irene, no matter how frustrated she got. Still, right now it was tempting considering the fact that this wasn't her Irene, but she knew that every mark she left on the prime's body would be felt by the real Irene in the morning, and for that reason alone, she refrained.

But that was exactly what Irene 4.0 wanted from her; dominance. It was something Wendy had subconsciously withheld throughout the duration of this battle of wills. Irene 4.0 needed to be given a reason to even bother submitting to such a weak and petite beta. After all, a prime omega was a creature too socially valuable to be handed over to just anyone. They needed someone that was strong, that could provide and care for them as well as any pups they may conceive. But more than anything, they needed someone who was worthy of such treatment in return. 

The omega's eyes widened in alarm and pending mischief as Wendy moved to readjust her handcuffs. She freed them from the headboard and attempted to fasten them again behind her back when Irene 4.0, of course, took the opportunity to be a royal pain. Wendy was normally very good about managing her emotions, however, this was not one of those times. Having had more than enough, Wendy gripped the nape of Irene's slender neck and forced her upper half down against the pillows making her yelp in surprise.

"Hope you've had your fun, 'cus you're not throwing me again." Irene's ears perked up at the firm tone in her voice, but it still wasn't enough to make her obey. 

While the omega continued to ignore her and thrashed around in her efforts to strike Wendy with her legs, the latter took another deep breath to summon up as much patience and courage she could muster. She bravely placed both hands on either side of Irene 4.0's head and dropped all of her weight directly on top of the omega's back, essentially pressing her into the mattress the way Seulgi had previously instructed her to. Irene screamed her objections and wriggled about, but it did not garner the fearful response she wanted. Instead, Wendy closed her eyes and focused all of her energy into keeping her pinned until she wore herself out.

A dull sting to the tender back of her right hand let her know straight away that Irene had just bitten her. She wanted to yelp so badly, but she suppressed the pained sound as best she could so as to not let Irene 4.0 know that her last resort at self defense had any sort of effect on her. Once she realized that she was running out of options, the raven screamed at the top of her lungs, but it was clear that she was quickly growing exhausted.

Wendy's initial plan had worked. While she may not have had what it takes to overpower Irene 4.0, she had certainly managed to outsmart her.

While the omega had to take a breather and catch her breath, Wendy saw it as her chance to subtly guide her length inside of the omega's tight channel and bit her lower lip at the warmer sensation. Her body fit Wendy's like a glove; a hot, supple, pleasurable glove. The sudden intrusion seemed to have snapped Irene right back out of her daze, but it was already too late for her to gain back most of the control she had lost. It didn't keep her from trying, though.

She whimpered and whined, both out of desperation and pleasure, as she was properly mounted and fucked into the mattress. As much as she wanted to keep giving Wendy a hard time, her girth had filled her up so nicely, dragging against her walls and stretching her out with every stroke. Her channel pulsed around her potential partner's length, coating it in another warm gush of her slick. There was still a little moxie behind her eyes, but even that was slowly fading away under the ruling pressure of Wendy's weight on her back.

A pale hand took Irene by the jaw, forcing her to lift her head and meet her eyes. As the final mini trial, they engaged in a brief staring contest -- one Irene quickly lost. Just like that, the beta had broken her. Seeing no point in resisting any longer, Irene 4.0 willingly surrendered herself over to the woman she would be spending the rest of her life with, sighing in defeat. A bit skeptical of the woman's sudden compliance, the beta slowed her movements and peeked over her shoulder just as Irene opened her eyes, looking up at her like she was waiting for something.

Wendy was momentarily paralyzed in disbelief.

Was that it? Had she done it?

A bright smile overcame Wendy's features. The bite marks and bruises had all been worth it. Now all that was left to do was make Irene climax one last time and claim her with a mark that would be uniquely her own. "You don't have to worry," Wendy assured Irene 4.0 while resuming her elated thrusts. "I'll take good care of her." The omega closed her eyes and crooned at the way Wendy's tongue danced along the right side of her neck, teasing her. The tell-tale fuzziness in her head grew making her eyes droop as she drifted off into sleepy waters. She was just waiting for her body to finish so she could return to hibernation, never to be seen again.

The beta's hips picked up the pace, pistoning in and out of Irene at blinding speeds. The latter squeaked and muffled her little noises into her elbow as Wendy's hands gripped her hips, pulling her back to meet each of her thrusts. The blonde could feel the condom slipping ever so slightly up and down her shaft due to the excess moisture her lover was producing, but thought nothing of it in the heat of the moment. Meanwhile, Irene could only release kittenish mewls as she was driven closer and closer to the brink of euphoria.

"Mine," Wendy rasped possessively into her submissive partner's ear as she neared her own orgasm, making the omega croon sweetly in agreement. "My mate, my everything... _Fuck_ , I just love you so much." Having heard the sincerity in Wendy's voice, Irene let out a little sigh of acceptance.

Her work here was done.

Suddenly, Irene's entire body trembled, her eyes rolling back into her head. Wendy watched in awe for a moment before she realized what was happening. Irene had finally reached the peak of her climax and wasn't coming down. "Good girl, unnie! Stay up there!" Wendy said, stumbling over herself to release the docile prime's constraints and roll her onto her back. Irene remained quiet, looking up at her with a blank but patient expression.

Unsure of what to do next, Wendy struggled to recall whether her lover was right or left-handed. If an omega was right handed, then their scent gland would be located on the right side of their neck and vise versa. However, in her heat-ridden haze and giddy excitement, she had forgotten which Irene was. Either way, she would have to be careful when marking her due to the close proximity between her bite's designated placement and Irene's circulatory system. Marking an omega was both a science and an art form to say the very least. 

She tried to envision which hand she saw her hold a pen in whenever she signed an autograph, scratching her head in confusion. Sensing the small beta's inner turmoil, Irene did her the favor of rolling her head to the left ever so slightly to show her chosen mate where she was to be marked.

"O-oh," Wendy murmured softly with a red tint to her cheeks, a bit put-off by her ability to comprehend the situation. "Thanks." As the younger awkwardly crawled her way up to hover over her, Irene looked somewhere off to the side in what appeared to be disinterest when in reality, Irene (3.0?) was just doing so to ease Wendy's nerves.

The beta's heart hammered in her chest. She felt like she was about to feint. Hesitantly, she ducked her head and used her nose to pinpoint where Irene's scent was strongest. If she looked closely, she could see a little disk of membranes barely visible beneath the surface of Irene's skin. She quickly shot the woman an unsure glance, but her attention remained elsewhere. She could see that her eyelids were drooping meaning that time was of the essence. Soon Irene 3.0 would fall asleep forever and if she wasn't marked by then, all of Wendy's hard work would die with her.

Without another moment to lose, Wendy gently licked and nipped at the sensitive patch of skin before sinking her teeth in. She flinched a bit at the metallic taste of blood in her mouth and the somewhat pained noise her actions had caused. It all happened too fast for Wendy. She wanted to remember the moment in fine detail so she could keep it forever in her memory, but she rushed it and for that she felt sorry. A few tears trailed down her cheeks to land on Irene's neck and collar bones.

At long last, Irene was hers.

Having fulfilled her sworn duty to guard her own heart, the prime could feel herself slowly slipping away. She fought to stay awake for just a little while longer, but it was a battle fought in vain. The alarm clock on the night stand blinked 4:15 when Irene's eyes fell closed. At which point, the third and fourth versions of Irene were to exist no more.

For the first time in several hours, the villa was dowsed in silence save for Wendy's quiet sniffles and the cheerful sounds of early morning coming in through the window pane. Very soon the sun would be rising, but after the events of the night, Wendy couldn't bring herself to sleep. All of it had felt like a fever dream. She had to keep pinching herself to make sure she wasn't just losing her mind.

A soft sigh from the woman sleeping beside her caught Wendy's attention. Careful not to wake her, Wendy pulled the blankets up to cover her naked body and quickly brought the hand back into her own personal space where it belonged. She wondered where her version of Irene was right now. Hopefully not still as afraid as she was when she left her. Her new mate's desperate calls of her name would forever haunt Wendy's darkest nightmares, but at least now Irene would never have to go through that again. Irene 4.0 had made Irene 2.0 look like a saint in comparison.

The beta's warm eyes drifted over to the blue and purple mark she had left in her wake. It would most definitely need some time to heal. As of now, it was still fresh; more of a bruise than anything, but seeing it only made her love Irene that much more. She would do it all over again -- every night if she had to if it meant that Irene would still be her mate.

Wendy smiled and released a little sigh of contempt through her nose, the physical repercussions of the night finally setting in. She figured she should get some rest as Irene would most likely want to have a little celebration of their mateship when she woke up. With a sleepy breath, Wendy joined her underneath the covers and moved a bit closer to exchange some body heat.

She took one last look at her omega partner's sleeping face and hoped that she would never grow numb to the feeling she got after beginning and ending each day with the love of her life beside her. Her leader, her mentor, her mate, her precious bunny rabbit; Bae Joohyun.


	45. XLV

Strong gusts of wind pushed a few billowing clouds across a sea of clear blue skies. Birds were chirping, clouds surfing, and a bachelor mandarin duck waddled around in the grass outside. Though the seasons had only just stepped into springtime, the air was mild but brisk -- the perfect day for a myriad of reasons.

Wendy laid in bed with her arms behind her head and a smile on her face, staring up at the basket weave detailing on the roof of the canopy. She was still trying to wrap her head around the events of last night, replaying all that she could remember over and over in vivid detail so she would never forget. It still felt like a fever dream; the universe's guarantee that she would have Irene until death do them part. In the case of mateship, the phrase could not be taken with a grain of salt as the permanency of a couple's union was irreversible unlike a marriage that always carried the possibility of ending in divorce. To many that level of commitment may seem unsettling, but Wendy was very secure in their decision and was more than happy to hand a bit of her personal freedom over in exchange for her beloved's mateship. It was said that an engagement was a battle for one's hand while a ritual was a battle for one's heart and Wendy backed that ideology wholeheartedly.

Bored of herself and her own thoughts, Wendy rolled onto her side to face her sleeping mate with a sigh of admiration. Irene's face was hardly visible with the covers hiding her mouth and chin, but she still managed to look so pretty and peaceful. She knew that Irene was capable of feeling her eyes on her, so she diverted them and instead gently played a few ornery strands of her lover's raven hair that had draped over to her side of the bed.

Today was the third of March meaning Irene's birthday would be coming up soon. To think that this time last year Irene was only about three months pregnant seemed so surreal to Wendy. It took her back to spending Irene's previous birthday sitting on the bathroom floor with her while she was throwing up one of her last spells of morning sickness. Most of her special day Irene had spent squeamish and bed-ridden, unable to truly celebrate another year gone by. Of course, her four dearest friends had compromised with the circumstances and decided to have a mini party in Irene's room. It wasn't much; just a banner, a few card games they could play with Irene confined to her bed, and some good conversation, however, as humble and underwhelming as the party was, Irene seemed genuinely grateful for their thoughts and company. Still, Wendy just couldn't shake that little dark cloud looming somewhere over her head. From now on they would be spending every single one of their birthdays together, but a simple party and cake seemed too disenchanting after all Irene had been through in the past year. She wanted to do something special for her.

A deep, sleepy inhale from the woman beside her launched Wendy's train of thought so far off its tracks it rammed straight into a heaping pile of thoughts otherwise known as Mt. Irene. It happened so often that at this point, the tiny workers up there should have just done themselves a favor and laid some tracks down, but she supposed that would kill the sudden rush of endorphins each crash pumped directly into her heart and Wendy wouldn't have that.

Her mate's pretty brown eyes fluttered in their struggle to adjust to the light in the room; the sleep in them being rubbed away by the backs of their owner's little hands as she woke. Wendy just watched her with a loving smile, mere centimeters away from her lover's cute, sleepy face. The first thing Irene saw when she opened her eyes was her partner's dreamy expression illuminated by the midday sun leaking in through the window just on the other side of the thin, white curtains behind her. The way her heart soared showed in her features, from the twinkle in her eyes to the happy smile below it.

"Good morning, sunshine," Wendy chirped softly while planting their first kiss of the day on top of the raven's head. "Sleep well?" Irene gave a chipper hum of an answer, but soon began to realize the aches throughout her body, though mainly in her wrists and neck. She lifted her hands to inspect the stinging sensation there and her eyes widened in alarm. Her wrists were bruised up pretty badly, but the shallow cuts around them hurt way worse.

Wendy's brows caved with remorse. Having seen the damage that had been done to her lover's wrists by no fault of her own, she believed her presence made her somewhat responsible. After all, she had been the one to cuff them to the headboard. She gingerly brought each one within kissing range, placing healing smooches on the areas that hurt.

Irene watched her and couldn't help but giggle. "You know, with kisses like those, you could cure just about anything."

"Oh? Maybe I should've been a doctor then." The omega replied with a sympathy chuckle, inching her way closer into Wendy's not-so-personal space. The latter didn't mind it at all, though. She just smiled and wrapped her arms around her lover's scantily clad form. The closeness between Irene's nakedness and hers made her ears burn, but right now, she preferred a sweeter exchange -- especially after being so rough with her mate's body last night.

Which reminded her...

The blonde stopped resting her chin on top of Irene's head and shifted back a bit, an action that garnered a questioning glance. She could clearly see the mark she had left on her lover's neck, smiling fondly at it and gently running the pad of her thumb over the tender surface of it. Having put the pieces together herself, Irene just gazed at her with bright, shimmering, and hopeful eyes.

"Did you...?" Wendy just smiled. A whole swarm of beautiful butterflies fluttered up through Irene's chest and out of her throat with a happy but subtle choke of a sob. Wendy grunted in astonishment as as a pair of arms wrapped around her and squeezed. Once she managed to regain her bearings, she looked down only to find Irene's warm cheek pressed against her sternum, her eyes closed with a proud smile on her face. "I knew you could do it."

Her words of good faith warmed Wendy's heart. She knew that Irene had always been in her corner, but this case was far more special. It took her back to the time Irene murmured those same words to her backstage after their debut performance. She had spent hours upon hours practicing the bridge and worrying herself sick over the possibility of missing a note and subsequently turning them all into the laughing stocks of SM before their careers even got a chance to lift off the ground. The pressure from people's high standards and predetermined hatred towards their group due to the company's faulty management skills didn't help matters either. Irene had been the one to stay up with her late into the night feeding her the tidbits of approval she needed to build up her confidence. Now, several years later, they had a beautiful little girl together and Wendy had been given the honor of being Irene's chosen mate. Those facts alone made Wendy's chest puff up with pride.

She moved in an attempt to plant another kiss directly onto Irene's plush lips, but she wound up only kissing the back of the woman's hand. Her eyes opened and rose in confusion, not quite grasping why her lover was covering her mouth. Noticing the questions floating around in the beta's eyes, Irene blushed and tried to hide her eyes as well. "My lips are chapped and I have morning breath."

When she finally understood her lover's reasoning, Wendy chuckled. "Do you really think I care about that? I just spent the whole night wrestling you so that I could be your mate. I hate to break it to you, but we'll be smelling each other's morning breath for decades, babe." Her snarky response made Irene feel silly. Immediately, she dropped her hand back down against the pillow with a shy blush dusting her ears and cheeks. Wendy saw this and thought it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Finally, she got to land one right on the kisser. The omega hummed merrily and tried to chase after her lover's lips when they departed -- something Wendy had noticed and made her giggle. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a crush on me." Her sarcastic joke was met with a playful glare. Irene made a move to slap her greasy beta's shoulder as punishment only to remember the soreness in her wrist far too late. The couple both hissed and separated just a bit -- Irene apologizing to her wrist while Wendy tried to sooth the aching tendons in her shoulder.

"Sorry." Irene muttered with a grimace. 

"It's fine," The younger insisted while squeezing her upper arm to test for any abnormal pain, relieved to have found none. "Honestly, I'm more worried about you. Do you need anything? Ice? Tylenol? Bandages?" 

"Maybe later. Right now, I just need you, my handsome mate." The beta chuckled warmly as Irene made a move to get cozy against her front, curling into her warmth and breathing in the even more appealing scent of her new mate. She had taken on a bit of it as well when Wendy's link had been formed. A pleasant aroma that was once saturated in vanilla now carried a hint of fresh orange leaves instead that had blended quite nicely with her rosy base fragrance.

"Awe, does Hyunnie need some lovin?'" Irene giggled against her chest and nodded eagerly. "Okay. But first, I want you to eat some breakfast." She craned her neck and caught sight of the numbers blinking on the alarm clock, immediately backing up to edit her previous statement. "Or at this hour, probably lunch." The little raven slinked her way over so that she was halfway straddling Wendy, loving the feeling of her lover's smooth thigh between her legs.

"Hmm, but you're already such a snack." Wendy wasn't sure if she should laugh or cringe at her mate's greasy choice in language so she wound up doing a bit of both while Irene lightly nibbled on the space between her neck and collar bone. Her lust laden eyes fluttered open and widened at the view that greeted her; the gnarly state of her lover's hand. She quickly ceased any further action and inspected the damage, gasping at the deep bite mark surrounded by blended water colors of blues, greens, and purples. Wendy quickly caught on to her concerns and made an effort to ease them.

"I-it's alright! It doesn't hurt that bad." Her words were proven false by a pained hiss brought on by the sting her lover's gentle hands had unintentionally caused. Meanwhile, Irene appeared to be rather distraught over this.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry." She whispered her own hand over her mouth.

"It's okay, Hyunnie, it's not like you meant to."

"Still..." With an uncertain expression, Irene continued to cradle her lover's poor hand with eyes that shimmered with sorrow. Knowing that she could no longer deny her injury, Wendy placed a soft kiss to the older woman's temple. 

"Ya know what'll make me feel better?"

Irene's ears perked right up. "What?"

"Tteokbokki." The raven scoffed and rolled her eyes, sliding back to lay on her side of the bed.

"You're just saying that because you know I like it."

"Maybe, but seeing you happy makes me happy. Therefore, as your mate, I am hereby obligated to spoil you rotten." Wendy said with a bright and toothy grin.

"Well, maybe I want the same for you," Irene chided back. "Let me make it up to you. I'll get you anything you want." The blonde thought for a moment. Her mind went into a thousand different directions; food, sex, movie night, an impromptu date. She remembered there had been a certain something she had been craving for a while now and she figured it would do the trick with very little expense to Irene.

"Could we go get bubble tea on the way home?" Such a humble request was met with a smile and a nod of agreement. Having settled that negotiation, Irene reached out to intertwine her fingers with those of Wendy's free hand. She hesitated to ask the question on her mind as she somewhat feared its answer, but her curiosity inevitably overruled.

"How bad was it? Last night, I mean." Wendy thought for a moment. In all honesty, the adrenaline rush had put a strainer over her memories and had filtered out a lot of the minor details, but she could recall just enough to present her mate with a general mosaic of the situation. 

"A bit scary, but it wasn't too bad once you settled down. Everything after that first part was fairly tame."

"Which part?"

"When you were calling me for help." The sunny mood of the room fell ever so slightly. For Wendy, it had felt like she could do nothing but turn her back and try to drown out the noise while Irene was mercilessly torn apart by a pack of wild dogs. Irene could only remember bits and pieces of that moment though she truly wished she could have remembered none. She had never felt more afraid in her life, and that was saying quite a bit given her childhood, past career, trying to keep her pregnancy a secret, and having been through the grueling pain of natural childbirth as well a c-section along with the lengthy recovery that came afterwards. Not to mention her suicide attempt that everyone mutually agreed was not a topic up for discussion. Still, the only experience that even came close was nearly losing Hyunhui after she was born. 

Eager to transition the topic of conversation away from such a dark and gloomy memory, Irene recalled something she had tucked away upon arriving at the villa. "I have something for you." Wendy's ears perked up, watching as Irene rolled over to fish something out of the bedside drawer. Whatever it was, it was small enough to be hidden in her hands as she turned back around to present Wendy with her gift. Irene urged the younger woman to sit up on the bed and revealed a little felt box made in the style Wendy had seen in far too many romantic dramas. She looked up at her mate with worry in her eyes, but Irene was quick to explain her intentions. "I know I can't give you a mark, so I figured this could be my way of claiming you back." Wendy watched as the lid of the box popped up to reveal a simple but elegant (and clearly quite expensive) ring. For a few seconds, she could only gawk at it. She slowly accepted the box from her lover's hands and carefully plucked the gorgeous ring out, sliding it on so it could rest in its designated place of residence. She wriggled her fingers, smiling at the way the sunlight reflected off of its dashing surface. 

The detailing of an entire scene the talented jeweler had somehow managed fit on such a small surface left Wendy in perpetual awe. A twisting silver tree blended into the physical shape of the ring itself, its budding leaves represented as almost microscopic but astoundingly pure diamonds. Upon further inspection and admiration for her mate's superb taste, she was pretty perplexed to lay eyes on the shape of a sterling silver swan wading in front of a pure cobalt backdrop. The swan was the representative animal of the Bunsung bongwan so needless to say, she was a bit surprised by Irene's choice to include such a symbol from her less than ideal upbringing.

Irene could see the slight change in emotion take hold of her mate's expressions. She assumed that her gift had not succeeded in conveying the loving sentiments she had hoped for. It hurt, though she refused to let that show as she didn't want to guilt Wendy into lying. "If you don't like it, we can exchange it for something else."

"I love it." Wendy said with the brightest of smiles. However, her eyes soon left Irene's to glance back down at the silver animal. "It's beautiful, but..." The omega tilted her head slightly with worry. "The swan... does it not bother you?"

"Why? Is there something wrong with it?" Irene took Wendy's hand to look for any possible faults in the ring's design, but the latter gave her head a shake and pulled her hand away. For a moment, she just fiddled with the object representing Irene's impossible mating mark.

"No, I mean... with your family. Your bongwan. I guess I'm just worried it'll remind you of the negativity in your childhood." Irene's features remained relatively neutral as she processed all that her mate was saying. 

While it may have been true that she had somehow forgotten the bird's negative symbolism in her life, the animal itself had never been stripped from her subconscious. She had requested both the colors and the symbol of her heritage on a completely custom made, one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry meant only to be warn by her mate without even realizing it. She supposed that after wearing cobalt blue articles of clothing and being surrounded by relics of the infamous silver swan in her youth, it had become somewhat of a hallmark gesture towards familiarity to her. Although, now that Wendy had mentioned it, the animal did remind her of the one on her collar and she shivered a bit inside.

"Well, would you like another animal? It _is_ your ring, after all." Wendy quirked her lips in thought. She hated to alter something Irene had put so much thought into, but now even she was effected by the bird's presence on her ring. A sudden thought made her smile to herself.

"Maybe a bunny instead?" Irene giggled at such a fitting suggestion.

"If that's what you want, then I'll get in contact with the jeweler. But for now, let's just enjoy our last day together, hmm?" The beta nodded and eagerly accepted an oncoming kiss. Irene moaned quietly into it, cradling Wendy's jaw in her hand while her tongue plundered the younger's warm mouth. Kissing had felt good before, but with the omega's new changes in hormones making her more sensitive to the touch of her mate, it felt even better now. "Mmm, I believe yesterday you said you would make love to me again?"

Wendy's chuckle made Irene put on a sleazy little smile. "Oh believe me, I will. But first, we have a few orders of business."

"Do we, now." Irene said with a subtly flirtatious look in her eye, resting a hand on Wendy's bare thigh all the while flashing her mate an innocent smirk. 

"Well, we need to shower, eat, do a little first aid, pack up a few things, write a note to sanitation, and would you stop touching me?" Irene giggled, but relented with an apology; removing her hand from its place higher up Wendy's leg, though it was hard to ignore the more positive reaction the younger's body gave towards her stray hand.

"Sorry. Your long lists just really turn me on." She said with a playful scrunch of the nose.

"Ha ha, excuse me for boring you half to death."

"I wasn't exactly joking..."

The beta snorted and looked at her in disbelief. "You're telling me _lists_ get you going?"

"Well, maybe not the lists themselves, but they _do_ tell me that my mate knows what needs to be done," The omega sighed while rubbing Wendy's side and suggestively nibbling on her earlobe. "I like a woman who's organized."

"Sooo, hypothetically speaking, if I were to go home and color code everything in my room, would you consider taking me up on my little requests?" The beta purred, pulling her horny omega closer all the while fighting off the temptation to give her lover's cute little butt a firm smack she knew she would enjoy.

Irene moved to sit up with quirked lips as though she had to take a second to think about it. "Perhaps. And if -- hypothetically, of course -- you should somehow get everyone's rooms under control, I think I would go into early heat for you." The couple shared a laugh and a kiss before deciding to get serious and be productive for a little while. Once all of the technical work was out of the way, they could take a few hours to relax and come back to bed for a healing helping of intimacy before it would be time for them to leave their little paradise and return to the place they called home.

While Irene busied herself with cleaning the kitchen counter, waddling a bit due to the sensitivity between her legs and the aches elsewhere, Wendy used her vantage point to the fullest. She pretended to scavenge the cupboard for anything they may have missed, but her eyes were instead glued to the older woman's apple butt. After spending the past several years getting her own felt up by the group's resident butt enthusiast standing only a few meters away, Wendy was beginning to see the appeal. Plus it gave her a bit of an excuse to seek revenge. By her mate's own request, Irene was wearing nothing more than Wendy's white dress shirt and a simple pair of black panties that never failed to get the beta's blood pumping.

On her way across the room, Wendy delivered the playful tap she had been holding back to her lover's bottom and, as expected, her actions elicited a little squeak of initial astonishment. Irene whirled her head around and gave her mate, who had pretended to play innocent by munching on some popcorn with a cheeky smile, an accusatory glance. She paused what she was doing and chuckled in amusement with a hand on her hip.

"Well, well. It seems our sweet little Seungwannie has gotten rather naughty these days." Wendy blushed, though her toothy grin never wavered. She just giggled and continued merrily snacking on popcorn, admiring the beautiful ring on her finger for the xth time that afternoon.

Irene had a point, though. This time last year, Wendy never would have dared to be so open with her urges. Maybe mateship had eliminated some of her own hidden variables as well allowing them both to be more playful and secure in their relationship. Previously, she had always just assumed that Irene would take offense to such perverted displays of affection, but, much to her surprise, it was really quite the opposite so long as they were executed both tastefully and in moderation. By the omega's own concent, she had dutifully offered up these privileges to her body in reciprocation of her mate's eternal care. It was always a nice surprise for Irene to feel gentle hands exploring her when she least expected it.

Irene's circling hand motions slowed ever so slightly. 

"Seungwan-ah..."

"Hm?"

"When we go home... will we ever get to have opportunities like this again?"

Wendy's brows furrowed. "Like what?"

"You know... you and me time. Just the two of us." Wendy finished popping a few kernels into her mouth and thought quietly to herself while dusting her hands free of salt.

"We will, though maybe not as frequently. I don't think it'd be appropriate to do half of the things we did with the kids around." She snickered, but her joke didn't garner the reaction she was hoping for -- or even one at all. The beta was visibly concerned about her mate's sudden silence. Clearly something else was on her mind and she was dying to know what. "Unnie?" Her voice appeared to have snapped Irene out of her head and back into real time where it belonged. "What's wrong? You seem upset." Wendy passed the raven a handfull of popcorn, but Irene simply looked down at it quietly until finally, she spoke.

"I've been giving it a lot of thought and... I think it's time we start looking to move out."

Wendy's originally sunny disposition soon fell. She knew that this was a conversation they needed to be having sooner or later, she just wasn't expecting it to be the former. Bogum had been kind enough to lend them his spare home free of charge out of the goodness of his heart, but by no means was the arrangement meant to be long-term. It gave them a roof over their heads until the triplets were born, but nothing more. The kids needed to live someplace better suited to enrich and nourish their childhoods. A place away from the bustling heart of the city with fresh air, plenty of room for them to play, good schools, and a more tranquil environment that was safe enough for expeditions compelled by child-like wonder. And, if little brothers and sisters should come along some day, the need for more space would become less of a convenience and more of a necessity. But while all of this may be true, Wendy's greatest concerns ran elsewhere.

"What about the others? Well, I guess nothing has to change, really," She said with a cheerful smile. "They could come live with us! Wouldn't that be great?" But as wonderful as the idea sounded in her head, Irene clearly wasn't on board. She still looked sad, gazing at her partner with apologetic eyes. This hurt and angered Wendy in such a way that almost brought her to tears. "Of course they can! Why shouldn't they!? We can't just up and leave with the kids, Hyun! They have just as much of a right to see them as we do! Hyunhui-ya has siblings! We're a family! They should stay together! We should _all_ stay togeth-!" A hasty hug put her rambling of frustrations and inner fears abruptly to rest. Irene had expected this sort of reaction from Wendy as she was easily the most attached to her members, however, somewhere deep down, buried beneath those layers of attachment, Wendy knew that Irene was right.

For so long the five of them had used one another as crutches of sorts. They had just spent the most formative years of their lives pressed under the thumb of a major entertainment corporation that had essentially hindered their individual growth and independence with countless contract clauses and restrictions. Without their own families there to help guide them through the woods haunted by manipulation and ill intentions towards a patch they deemed most favorable, they could only trust in one another to make these decisions with the good of the group in mind -- namely Irene as the eldest and most mature of the bunch. Still, while Irene had a few years' worth of a leg-up on the others, she was still just as naive and clueless when it came to certain matters. After spending so much time babied by their company and under the heavy influences of one another, it became clear that they had grown overly dependent on others' input; so much so that it was interfering with their abilities to truly integrate themselves into the real world known as adulthood. Irene knew this, and as much as she hated to admit it, she also knew that it was time for them to go their separate ways. 

"I hate this just as much as you do," Irene murmured softly over Wendy's shoulder. "But now it's time for us to grow up too."


	46. XLVI

Labored breaths, the rhythmic tapping of shoes against the sidewalk, and soft croons accompanying the sounds of fluttering wings belonging to a nearby flock of birds taking flight set the mood for Joy's evening jog. She treasured this time in her routine to get out and clear her head after the events of her day came to a close. The little heart-shaped locket around her neck bounced with each step, tapping her chest rhythmically making her smile at the thought of the person whose photo she kept inside.

The air was cool and crisp, chilling her lungs in such a way that ached yet was somehow refreshing all the same. The Han River was always so beautiful this time of day when the sunset had just barely fallen under the distant bridge, its radiance shimmering through the dewdrops turning the grass a dazzling golden color. Motor boats skimmed over the glassy waters creating subtle waves in their wake. The running raven watched them go by, a song very familiar to her serenading her through the little white buds in her ears. It was not a very upbeat song by any stretch of the imagination, however, it was too sentimental for her to skip. For this reason, she decided now was as good of a time as any to pause for a brief stretch break.

With Seulgi's unique voice chiming out the chorus of "Remember Forever" into her ears, Joy stretched her arms above her head and looked out across the waters reminiscently. Today truly had been a wonderful day; the sun was shining, the weather was warm, her baby was smiling, and the happy couple was finally coming home. Joy smiled and held her locket in her hand, running her thumb over the "S" engraved on the shell of it.

When she turned her head, she spotted the nearby convenience store and smiled. Seeing it had taken her back to their days as bright-eyed trainees coming down to the river for a break between classes as well as the filming for their first V-Live. Those were much simpler times. They were all young and hungry -- even Irene who was only about twenty-one at the time. Now that shy, young girl was in her early thirties, was hopefully mated to their sweetest and most beloved group member, and had become a mother of three beautiful children all within the span of a year. My, how things had changed.

The peace was disturbed by a nearby couple's quarrel. Joy tugged one of her earbuds to take in the noise and whirled around with furrowed brows as an angry alpha man shouted at his wife who was seated on a picnic blanket beside their young daughter, covering the child's ears to spare her the trauma. She was clearly quite fed up with her husband's accusatory jabs and fired back a few of her own only to be met with a harsh smack across the face.

Before Joy could even process what had happened, the man grabbed his omega wife's wrist and practically dragged her down the sidewalk, spouting out curses while jerking her arm so roughly Joy feared the woman's shoulder would pop out of its socket. Meanwhile, their young daughter scrambled to gather their things and crammed them all into a picnic basket, wiping her tears as she ran to catch up with her parents. Joy could do nothing but watch the poor child in her struggle to lift the heavy basket and move swiftly at the same time. As much as she wanted to get involved, she knew that she was the outlier here. It's the reason why all of the other bystanders sitting or walking nearby just watched and shook their heads; not towards the alpha's actions, but the omega's. 

An older man scoffed, watching the young family disappear off into the distance with a sandwich in his hands. "Breeders these days, I tell you what. Give 'em an inch, they'll take a damn mile. I swear, the lot of 'em need to be whipped back in shape..." The elderly omega woman seated beside him with a rather old-fashioned collar around her neck rubbed his leg soothingly while he grumbled through a bite of his supper.

"Yes, dear."

The whole situation served as an eye-opener for Joy. While she may have been very well aware of the blatant dynamicism engraved in their culture, she rarely ever saw it executed first hand and she was always thankful for that. The only semi-personal offenses she had witnessed were the ones made towards her leader on a regular basis, but seeing it happen now to a complete stranger right in front of her eyes made the problem all the more real for her. What if that had been Irene or one of the pups? Would she have said something then? Joy certainly hoped so.

Too deep in her thoughts and emotions to jog any longer, Joy opted instead to walk the rest of the way home. By the time she had reached the city park just outside of Bogum's neighborhood, the warm sun had disappeared beneath the horizon. The friendly local restauraunt owner handed her a brown bag containing her order and bid her goodnight. The bell hanging above the door jingled, announcing her exit back onto the darkened streets of outer Seoul. Streetlights and the warm glow radiating through shop windows guided her way home as she mulled things over in the privacy of her own head.

She skimmed the curbside as she wandered her way into the neighborhood, kicking a pebble every couple of steps. Her mood had been ruined by what she saw that evening. Now she just wanted to go home and play with her daughter to lift her spirits until Irene and Wendy returned.

As she wiped the sweat from the back of her neck with a rag, Joy took in the silence of the house. Tranquil and quiet, the living room greeted her with the smells of polished pine wood and baby powder. She almost fell for the urge to get a fire going, but figured it wouldn't be the safest decision if she planned on giving the pups some time to play on the floor. On her way to a much needed shower, a soft, familiar rumble caught her ear. She found Seulgi napping on the couch, snoring openly with a mouth as wide as the Pacific and her little son snoozing on her chest. It appeared the little bear family was ready for hibernation.

The sweet scene between sire and son made Joy crack a smile, though there was sorrow there as well. She and Seulgi still had yet to talk about what had happened after Yeri had caught them in a rather compromising position. While she had already come to terms with her sexuality and dynamic identity, Seulgi had not. Up until recent, Seulgi was convinced she was only attracted to omegas -- maybe betas, if she was looking for something more mellow -- but clearly that wasn't the case. She had feelings for Joy too though whether or not they were romantic or strictly sexual was uncertain. Lucky for her, Joy had given her time to think it through and experiment casually until there was a definitive answer but just as she was growing more comfortable with their secret arrangement, Yeri had unknowingly thrown a wrench into all of it. It felt like their bond had been severed completely. Any time Joy would try to strike up the conversation, Seulgi would leave the room to cry or pour her mixed feelings out into her artwork. Because of this, her style had shifted from portraits into more abstract portrayals of her inner turmoil. Seeing these pieces hung up on Seulgi's wall made Joy back off in her advances. Who was she to push and nag Seulgi into making such a decision prematurely? She knew how it felt to be so lost in your own color. For now, all she could do was wait.

The raven's eyes drifted over to the pile of boxes stacked in the corner. Odds were Irene was not going to be too thrilled about them, seeing as how they were all gifts from her parents. Apparently the Baes had come to their senses and realized that Rowoon would be their only clean option for a male heir. They had decided that their best course of action was to shower him in material possessions in hopes of establishing some fickle bridges with him early on before he was old enough to comprehend just how horrible and selfish they were. But what did their granddaughters get? Absolutely nothing -- not even a greeting card, as if that would have made anything better. Clearly the Baes had come to the conclusion that a little boy born unto a set of prime parents held up a better image than his two sisters sired by a run-of-the-mill bongwan alpha and an average beta. Unfortunately for them, not one of their gifts had landed into their target's little lap and everyone was keen on seeing to it that it stayed that way. 

The lone boy of the house sighed peacefully in his sleep, his dreams soothed by the steady beating of his sire's heart beneath his ear. While his sisters showed a bit more favoritism towards their mother, Rowoon really liked his Mama. Over time he had begun to copy her mannerisms and realized he didn't want anyone else feeding him but her. Rowoon had already earned himself the nickname 'panda bear' due to his habit of clinging onto people -- especially his sire, of course. As the weeks progressed, it was great to see Seulgi growing more and more comfortable with him as well.

After her shower, Joy went to fetch Sooyun and Hyunhui from the crib; both of whom were quietly gumming on teething rings and pawing at a few of the stuffed animals keeping them company during their wait. Sooyun lifted her little arms upon noticing Joy's presence, whimpering and kicking her legs impatiently due to her overwhelming desire to be held. 

"Hi, princess." She kissed her daughter's chubby cheek before reaching over to pick Hyunhui up as well and carried both pups into the living room for some tummy time before bed.

Joy's long legs gracefully stepped into the play pen they had set up in the living room and she placed the two girls gently down on their stomachs. Doing this helped the infants naturally learn how to crawl once they were able to figure out the mechanics of it for themselves. Sooyun and Rowoon had picked this up fairly quickly, but the tiny runt of the litter was still too small to support much more than the weight of her little torso on her arms just yet. Even so, watching her siblings and copying their methods seemed to help build her confidence.

Joy supervised her daughter with a smile while she did a great job of keeping her upper body off of the floor, looking around the room with big brown eyes. The proud Mom lifted the whimpering youngest into her lap to rest. She gave Hyunhui a few head kisses of encouragement, fully aware that such a physical skill was hard for her. The little runt accepted the toy Joy had handed her and gnawed on it quietly.

A series of knocks on the glass door prompted Joy to lift her head and roused Seulgi from her slumber. The woman yawned, stretching her body and subsequently waking Rowoon up as well. The bed-headed boy let out a big yawn of his own as he was tucked into his sire's arm while she got up to answer the door. Seulgi squinted due to the effect the porch light's glow had on her sleepy eyes and smiled, greeting Irene and Wendy while doing her best to help them move their things inside with her free hand. Immediately noticing Rowoon curled up against Seulgi's chest upon entry, Irene smiled and ran a hand over the boy's messy head of thick, brown hair. 

"Hi, baby boy." She spoke softly in case he was still asleep. Seulgi watched her kiss his tiny head; an action that made him croon happily into his sire's warmth.

"Hey! Welcome back, you guys!" Joy called from her place towards the edge of the corral. As Irene moved around the couch to say hello, Joy quickly urged her to wait. With a curious Irene watching nearby, she carefully placed her child on the floor outside of the play pen and gave a rather bewildered-looking Sooyun a few hushed words of encouragement. "Go see Eomma!"

The tiny tot laid on her belly and took a look around this new open space she had been exposed to. When she recognized the woman crouched down nearby, she opened her mouth and smiled happily. The pup lifted herself up on her hands and knees and clumsily crawled her way across the carpet towards her mother. Irene's face lit up in surprise. As the tiny tot pawed her way closer, she beamed with a flashy display of emphasized excitement and opened her arms to accept her child.

Although the space between them was objectively small, Sooyun quickly grew too tired to continue. Irene didn't mind. Instead, she scooped her little girl up in her arms and kissed her pudgy cheeks, praising her on a job well done. 

"She's a fast learner!" Wendy piped up with a cheerful smile. "How long did it take her to figure it out?"

"Oh, about a day or two," Joy replied boastfully, watching while Irene offered their baby a teething ring to chew on. "She's just gifted -- like her Mom." The beta scoffed and playfully rolled her eyes at the younger's bold statement based solely on pride. Still, she had to hand it to Sooyun; the kid was as bright as she was beautiful. 

While Irene reached over the gate to greet little Hyunhui, her hair fell all to one side which had left her mark completely exposed. Joy took notice of this and her lips pulled up in a wicked grin. Curious, she reached out and gingerly brushed the butterfly-shaped mating mark with the pads of her fingers making Irene shudder and mewl as a result. A long, low whistle squeezed through Joy's puckered lips.

"Wow. You're a whole mated omega now, unnie. Congrats."

"Yeah, well... Don't touch my mark." Irene chuckled lightly while urging Joy's hand away.

Moments later, having heard the couple's noisy arrival, Yeri came around the corner with a bright smile on her face. This hadn't disturbed Irene in the slightest. It was the figure following after her that made her heart drop.

Wendy's duffle bag hit the floor with a loud thud. The air in the room grew heavy with silence and tension. Irene was frozen solid -- her pupils mere specks of dust in seas of dark chocolate. She wasn't sure how to feel about seeing her baby sister standing in their living room. Had she and Wendy been teleported to some alternate reality? Uncertain, Irene held Sooyun and Hyunhui closer.

"Haeun-ah?"

"Joohyun ssi..." Joy and Seulgi pursed their lips and kept their mouthes shut, diverting their eyes to avoid any confrontation.

"Uh, h-hey... Haeun-ah." Irene greeted with a painfully awkward chuckle. She subtly looked around at her other members in underlying bewilderment, silently demanding some sort of an explanation with widened eyes. "What are _you_ doing here?"

The bean stalk of a girl glanced around the room as though she was looking for someone. She appeared to be rather concerned the more faces she passed through. When she was sure the person she was searching for wasn't present, her worried eyes returned to those of her older sister. "W-where's Bogum-ssi?" The room once again fell into a tense and awkward silence as Haeun tried to wrap her head around the situation.

"Um... may I speak with her?" Irene pleaded softly towards their home's other occupants. "Alone?" Seulgi gave her an encouraging tight-lipped smile and a nod of understanding. She guided a rather curious Yeri out by the elbow and urged Joy to follow with the kids. The latter took the girls from Irene's arms, though not without some sounds of protest. On their way into the kitchen, Sooyun peeked over Joy's shoulder; whimpering and reaching out towards her with little hands and a sad pout.

Once they were alone, Irene's features hardened in a rather stern and intimidating expression. Without a word, she waved her sister in the direction of her bedroom and Haeun dutifully followed. She watched Irene close the door and saunter over to have a seat on her bed. For a moment, Irene expectantly stared at the taller girl standing in the middle of the floor space. Coming to the quick realization that Haeun must have still been engrained in their family's strict laws of over-politeness, Irene humbly insisted she join her, but her warm invitation was shot down by a simple shake of the head.

No words were exchanged right away. At which point, a cloud of awkward silence was cast over their heads. The omega pursed her lips and awkwardly looked around her own room before softly clearing her throat to speak. "I take it you've been here for a while now. I'm sorry I wasn't here to speak with you sooner."

"Where is your husband?" Irene was clearly caught off-guard by the severely out-of-character bluntness to the younger's words. Apparently Haeun had surprised herself, but she quickly gathered up her nerves and carried on with a shiny new spine. "I-I see that you are mated. You have pups. However, I ha-have failed to find your groom." Her sister's silence was a source of concern for Haeun. "Is B-B-Bogum ssi no longer with us? Has he d-died?"

"No, he's not dead." Irene murmured quietly while fidgeting with her fingers in her lap.

"Has he ne-neglected you? Does he kee-keep bedmates? Your pups d-d-don't carry ma-many of his genes..." Haeun's eyes widened in horror. "W-were you en-enslaved? Are y-you a b-b-breeder!?"

"It's nothing like that." Haeun's speech tended to become more jumbled the more nervous or emotional she was. With this in mind, Irene urged her to calm down so that she could explain herself. "I'm not mated to an alpha, Haeun-ah. Or a man, for that matter."

"Wh-what are you saying...?"

The words clung to the tip of her tongue and refused to let go. Irene paused for a moment and took a deep, cleansing breath in through the nose then released it with a soft sigh. "I belong to a beta now, Haeun-ah. She's the sweetest, gentlest, most amazing creature I've ever known. I couldn't be much happier." The younger raven's eyes widened, but she gave no verbal response. "My pups are half-siblings. Seeing as how you were here when we arrived, I assume you've met two of their sires while I was gone." As the pieces all fell into place, Haeun looked disgusted and appalled.

"Y-you _are_ a b-b-breeder!" She shouted while stumbling backwards into the door. "H-how cou-cou-could you let them, le-let them m-mount you!? Y-you're-!"

"A person." Irene declared with traces of hurt in her voice.

Meanwhile, Haeun looked like she had seen a ghost. With a hand on her chest and her back pressed against the door, her trembling hand reached for the brass door knob though she didn't dare turn it. Clearly there was an inner debate going on in her head between wanting to keep an open mind and following the harsh ideologies of her upbringing. Irene could see this, which was why she got up from her bed and walked over to comfort her little sister. "I know it's hard for you to understand," She murmured while combing a piece of lint free from the taller girl's long curtains of hair. "But I think you'll find that love doesn't care about dynamic or tradition."

As a child, Haeun had idolized her big sister. Joohyun had always been quiet and obedient -- never saying much more than 'yes, ma'am' and 'yes, sir.' She had received good marks in her strict private school, was popular with the teachers and her peers, been appraised very highly by the bongwan's matchmaker, even receiving her first courtship request at the tender age of eight. It was hard not to be envious, even while living in such perfection's shadow. Her sister practically had a path of gold laid out right in front of her and yet she chose the dusty, winding trail leading off to who knows where instead. Haeun wanted to resent her sister for abandoning her and leaving her alone to fend for herself while she chased her newfound dream, but she couldn't. Joohyun had the courage to pursue the future she wanted for herself and Haeun couldn't be mad at her for that.

After Joohyun had presented as an omega, their bond had begun to weaken by the hour it seemed. They hardly ever saw one another when Irene still lived at home due to her constant conditioning on how to be a good housewife, let alone after she worked up the bravery to move to Seoul and became a Kpop idol. But even after all of these years, Haeun still looked up to her. She always got a sense of security in working through chores beside Joohyun, even if no words were exchanged. Joohyun was the one that had received the most praise from their parents and Haeun figured she should learn a thing or two if she wanted even a morsel of that attention as well. However, no matter how hard she tried to be like Joohyun, she was still snapped at, beaten, or completely ignored. Knowing that the golden child had now put their parents' lessons at the bottom of her shoes made Haeun's face go red with an emotion she had never felt before.

The younger girl's delicate fists clenched at her sides. "Have y-you forgotten e-everything Abeonim and Eomeonim ha-ave taught us!?"

"Yes! And I suggest you do too." The omega stated with her arms folded across her chest. "The real world isn't out to get you, Haeun-ah. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can be happy." The poor girl's eyes danced around the floor in a state of mental malfunction. Which was she to believe? The words of the people who raised her and held the power to kill her or those of her sister who wanted nothing but the best for her? Her mind felt like it was jumping through hoops to find the safest answer, but instead she had found herself trapped in a complex maze of possibilities. It was almost too much for her to sort through all at once.

"I-I don't..." Irene's eyes were riddled with concern. However, rather than trying to push her own point further, she let her stumble over her words for a while. Haeun needed to experience the decision making process first-hand in order to grow comfortable with doing so on her own behalf. Right now, Haeun was realizing that she had her own thoughts and emotions and was learning how to convey them. "I-I don't know, Joohyun ssi."

"And I wouldn't expect you to. At least not right away." She spoke in a warm, soft, summery tone. "So for now, let's start back at square one. I'm your unnie, not one of your peers. I'd like it if you'd refer to me as such." Haeun pursed her lips and nodded. "Second order of business; why are you here? From what I gather, I take it you're here seeking refuge, correct?" The younger of the two sisters nodded once more.

Irene quirked her lips and breathed deeply to herself. As much as she wanted to welcome Haeun into her home and help her make a smooth transition into the real world, she couldn't help but feel a bit cautious. She hadn't actually spoken to Haeun in over a decade. At this point, they may as well have been strangers, and with her babies living under the same roof, she was quite wary of the possibility that this could have been a trick set up by their parents. Haeun had always been the most naive and easily influenced of the two sisters so who was to say whether or not she was just following protocol by being there? Still, there had been an aura of sincerity surrounding her ever since the start of their conversation that made Irene truly believe there were no ill intentions behind Haeun's visit. She was just a girl seeking help from her older sister; the only source of wisdom she felt she could trust to guide her down the right path.

Wondering if it was just her well wishes talking, Irene figured she would test the waters a bit. "Have the others been treating you well?" A little smile pulled up the corners of Haeun's mouth as she nodded with much enthusiasm. 

"S-Sooyoung ssi is rather sc-scary, but e-everyone else has been ve-very kind! Yerim ssi is teaching me ho-how to speak modern la-la-language."

"Well that's nice of her." Irene said with a soft, somewhat humored chuckle. "Think you can say something for me?"

Haeun flushed and shyly lowered her head. "N-not yet," She muttered while nervously combing through the ends of her hair. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Irene chirped airily with a relaxed little shrug. "There's no need to apologize. I'm just happy to see you're doing well." The duo shared a sweet smile before Irene hesitantly went in for a hug. Haeun's eyes boggled for a moment. She had only been hugged once before in her twenty-three years of living, back when she was only a child. Those same arms were wrapped around her now and despite the number of years piled between both embraces, the feeling was still the same; warm and gentle like the greetings of an old friend. Irene chuckled quietly to herself, happy to feel her hug being reciprocated.

Just then, Wendy peeked in with a crying Sooyun held against her shoulder and a distressed look on her face. Having noticed her presence had ended their little moment of sisterly love, Wendy slowly ducked back out into the hallway. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Without much of a verbal reply, Irene hastily walked over to intercept her wailing daughter and show her mate inside. Wendy's eyes widened the closer she got to her sister-in-law's towering, slender frame. It seemed they weren't quite sure what to make of one another so Irene took the liberty of breaking the ice for them all the while trying to calm Sooyun by bouncing in place and patting her little back.

"Haeun, this is Seungwan; Seungwan, Haeun." Wendy bowed politely and Haeun did the same although she appeared to be rather uncomfortable with the whole situation. She still wasn't sure how she felt about her omega sister fornicating with a fellow beta so she kept her distance, but she at least made a conscience effort to be polite.

Wendy whipped her head around, pleading to Irene with her eyes while she slipped out into the hallway to sooth her baby. The raven grit her teeth and pointed her own eyes in Haeun's direction as a silent threat for her to get some sort of conversation going between them in her absence. As the door clicked shut, Wendy cleared her throat and wracked her brain for something they could talk about. She knew she had to get on Haeun's good side. After all, she was technically a part of their big, confusing, intertwining mess of a family tree now.

"So," She began with an awkward chuckle and a rub to the back of her neck. "Um... well, it's nice to finally meet you!"

"Likewise."

Her first shot at making casual conversation ended way sooner than Wendy had initially hoped. She had expected Haeun to pick it up and run with it for a little while longer than she did, but Wendy was willing to improvise. After all, chatting was her forte.

"Um... what do you like to do for fun? Any hobbies?"

"Eomeonim let me po-polish the floors," Haeun stated softly. "Th-that was fun." The smaller of the two raised her brows and nodded, trying to show some interest in such a bland response. 

"Oh! Yeah, that's... cool..." As another bucket of awkward silence was dumped onto their heads, Wendy mentally prayed to every deity on high that Irene would return shortly and save her from this cringy nightmare. How was she supposed to relate to someone whose whole world revolved around preparing meals and scrubbing floors?

Suddenly, a little light bulb flickered on above her head.

"Do you like cooking?" Haeun's expression seemed to brighten up a bit. She nodded with a more cheerful twinkle in her eye. "Me too! What a coincidence!" Wendy exclaimed a little too over dramatically. "I'm more partial to baking myself, but around here, I've become the master chef of sorts. Maybe we could exchange recipes sometime." Haeun simply smiled and bobbed her head in agreement just as the muffled crying outside finally stopped.

"Sorry, not sure what that was about." Irene sighed with a now peaceful Sooyun propped up on her arm. "Hey, babe? Do you know where her paci is? I can't find it." Wendy fished a hand into her pocket and pulled a wet wipe from the tube sitting on Irene's vanity, wiping off the rubber part of the pink and yellow duck-themed pacifier before gently guiding it into Sooyun's waiting mouth. The plastic object bobbed rhythmically and the baby crooned in contempt, leaning forwards into her Eomeoni's shoulder.

Haeun watched for a moment with great intrigue as Wendy smiled and softly rubbed the child's tiny head with the palm of her hand. The infant didn't look very much like Wendy, but she posed the question regardless in case she happened to be wrong. "I-is she Seungwan ssi's?" Her question caught the couple's attention, effectively snapping them both out of their little trances. Irene and Wendy exchanged a shy little smile before the former began to bounce again while Sooyun looked around at all of the objects littering her mother's bedroom.

"No, Sooie here is Sooyoung-ah's pup. The sires tend to look after whoever needs it rather than worry about whether or not the baby's theirs."

"D-do the alphas n-not mind?" Irene shrugged and shook her head.

"In the beginning we all thought there would only be one baby," The petite beta explained while wiping the remains of mashed peas from Sooyun's chin. "When we found out unnie was pregnant with triplets, we all sort of rallied together to help each other out. Ten hands are better than four, after all."

"B-but the alphas..." Haeun reiterated, pausing as she tried to assemble every bit of knowledge she had obtained on alphan kind. "Alphas g-get violent if their ma-mate is pregnant with... They should have..."

"Luckily I wasn't mated to either of them." Irene said, smiling as her baby cooed merrily over her shoulder. "If I was, and maybe if we weren't already used to being part of a team, things may not have worked out so well between the four of us." Wendy nodded in agreement and sweetly kissed the side of her mate's head.

Setting Wendy's little display of affection aside, Haeun was amazed by their group's synergy. All her life she had been lead to believe that all alphas were like her father; raw, domineering, muscular, intimidating, patriarchal, aggressive. However, the more she stopped to think about it, the more she realized how flawed such a stereotype was. From what she gathered after watching her sister's friends go about their daily lives, none of them struck her as the type to expect or demand much from anyone. Granted, they were all female which had somewhat nullified the control group of her little experiment, but nevertheless, they seemed to be kind and generous creatures all around.

Haeun quietly watched the happy couple interact with the giggling baby and smiled. A small part of her was jealous; jealous of all of the love and affection surrounding the little one that would surely follow her all the way up through her adulthood. Seeing them all work together to raise one another's offspring was inspiring for her, especially Yeri who was three years younger than her yet had taken it upon herself to sacrifice her own time meant for leisure to help out. In her eyes, her baby nieces and nephew had to be the luckiest pups in the world to have not one, not two, but five people who all seemed to adore them dearly. It got her thinking about the logic of this sensation called love and its effects on the human body. Was it an emotional response or simple psychology? Was it somehow related to the concept of a "crush," as Yeri had called it? Now that her first internal experiment had reached a somewhat stable conclusion, Haeun was dying to know. 


	47. XLVII

Yeri's tongue peeked out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, the steering wheel-shaped controller in her hands twisting and turning as the character on the left side of the screen dashed into first place. Meanwhile, Haeun was still trying to figure out the controls. Poor Toad was still stuck at the starting line doing awkward three-point turns and smacking into walls.

As Yoshi proclaimed his victory for what had to be the hundredth time that afternoon, Yeri raised her hands above her head and whooped loudly. The confused deer of a girl failed to find the appeal in these sorts of games, but she was glad to see the enjoyment Yeri was getting out of utterly obliterating her at them. It was nice to feel included in something the younger girl liked to do in her free time.

"Wanna try out a different game? I think I still have Mario Party 9 in here somewhere..." Haeun watched her rummage through the cases of games that had been messily stacked away under the makeshift TV stand. She made a mental note to come up and organize them for her later, but right now, she was more focused on the fuzzy feeling in her chest.

She was beginning to believe something was wrong with her. After all, it only came around whenever she was hanging out with Yeri. Maybe she had an allergy? That would be awful! Haeun wasn't sure she could cope with something like that. Spending time with Yeri, despite her lack of understanding in most of the things she did, had become the one thing Haeun really looked forward to each day. If she had developed some sort of allergy to the younger girl, it felt to her like the world would end.

Haeun shyly glanced in the tiny maknae's direction with a warm feeling swelling in her cheeks and ears. Her eyes widened and her hands shot up to touch them. Was it a rash!? Had her symptoms worsened!? She could feel her heart racing in her chest faster than it was before only this time it was due to the stress of not knowing what was happening to her. She really liked Yeri, that much she knew for sure, so maybe a crush was just another name for a disease of some sort?

While Yeri was sitting on her stomach, preoccupied with trying to find another game they could play together, she felt the weight of a body pressing down on her back. "Ow! Unnie!" She whined, wriggling about in an attempt to slip free. "What are you doing!?"

"I'm crushing you."

"Um, why?" Yeri grunted, tapping her arm against the rug in surrender.

The older of the two betas was confused as to why Yeri was acting this way. Was she not doing it right? Had she done something wrong?

As soon as she moved away, Yeri gulped in air like a fish out of water. Haeun immediately felt bad for hurting her. When she left home, she had never expected things to be so different. She thought everyone lived the same way her family did, but clearly that wasn't the case. People had different ways of approaching life and language wasn't taken as literally as she thought it should be. At this point, she was completely clueless as to what a crush really was and how to convey it. 

While Yeri took a second to breathe, she caught sight of Haeun looking down at her hands with an apologetic and somewhat frustrated expression on her face. Clearly she hadn't meant any harm. While she had made great strides in understanding the real ways of society, by no means was she completely capable of blending in just yet. She still had a habit of taking everything quite literally and refraining from defending herself. Yeri and the others had been teaching her to grow a backbone by urging her to explain her own actions and reflecting on them.

"Could you explain to me why you did that?" She choked out.

"When I first came here, y-you told me about crush-crushes," Haeun said in a voice as thin as a fairy's wings. "I-I've been getting these odd sy-symptoms wh-when I'm around you. When y-you really like someone, y-you catch a crush on them... right? You c-crush them?"

Finally understanding where Haeun was coming from, Yeri couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. Her reaction both confused Haeun and also managed to somewhat hurt her feelings. Clearly she genuinely thought something was wrong with her. Yeri could see this as clear as day on the poor girl's pouting features and was quick to apologize.

"Awe, I'm sorry," She chuckled, giving Haeun's leg a reassuring pat. "You're just so cute!"

"C-cute?"

"Yeah!" Yeri giggled. "A crush isn't a disease or an action, goof ball. It's just a word for someone you really like, but not in a friendly way. It's sort of stuck between love and infatuation."

Haeun blinked her doe eyes at this new piece of information. Part of her initial hypothesis had been proven correct. It seemed a crush did in fact share some correlation with love. "Oh." She said, finally understanding the meaning of this odd little word. "Th-then what was I supposed to d-do?"

"Just tell me." Yeri said with the sweetest of smiles and a nonchalant shrug. "Assuming that's what you meant by that, of course."

"Okay." She chirped. "I... c-crush you?"

"Try again," The younger chuckled. "This time, say 'I have a crush on you.'"

"I have a crush on y-you." Haeun repeated while bobbing her head along with the syllables, concentrating intently on mimicking Yeri's form of speech.

The maknae smiled and reached up slightly to give Haeun's head a pat. "Good job. See? Now I know!" Haeun appeared to be quite proud of herself, but when Yeri returned to what she was doing, her beaming smile faded to a small frown.

"Do you have a crush on me back?"

Yeri stopped her search long enough to glance over her shoulder at the older girl. There was a shy but hopeful look in her eyes that begged for her crush's approval. Haeun quickly combed her fingers through her hair to rid it of any knots or tangles, almost as though she was trying to make herself look more presentable to better her chances. She really didn't need to, though. While her visuals may not have been completely on-par with her sister's, Haeun was still a very beautiful girl in her own right. She was tall, feminine, took good care of her hygiene, her hair was healthy, and she had the longest natural eyelashes Yeri had ever seen on another human being. She could have easily been a model if she wasn't so anxious and shy. 

Most importantly, Haeun was a sweet, intelligent girl that had recently developed her own dream of becoming a behavioral scientist. The job was befitting of her, seeing as how she enjoyed observing people and had a passion for learning new things about them. Granted, she had a long way to go before she would be ready to try her hand at a college entry exam, but at least she had developed a general direction in which she wanted to steer her life towards. As for Yeri, she wasn't quite sure of what she wanted to do with herself just yet. Until then, she had picked up a little part-time job at a local grocery store to keep her busy until she could figure out what she wanted to do with her future. Maybe a lyricist or a designer of some sort?

Yeri's focus quickly returned to the conversation at hand. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she had romantic feelings for Haeun or not. There had been moments where she got a bit flustered around her or thought she was cute, but did any of that really count towards feelings of affection? What would Irene think if they did get together? In all fairness, she would probably be happy for them, but that wasn't the point. The question was; how did _Yeri_ feel about Haeun?

The maknae sighed a little through her nose. She didn't want to hurt the older girl's feelings, but she didn't want to lie to her either. Finally, she assembled a fair response.

"I don't really know if I have a crush on you, unnie." She said in a quiet and apologetic tone. Looking up, Yeri could practically see Haeun's first heartbreak happening in real-time, frame by frame, and it made her feel inky inside. A few tear drops fell from Haeun's eyes and landed on her bare leg, throwing the younger girl into a state of alarm. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't cry!" Yeri swiftly reached for a nearby box of tissues so Haeun would no longer feel the need to wipe her blues away with the sleeve of Joy's hand-me-down hoodie. "It doesn't mean I don't like you! Now that I know you have one on me, maybe I could think about it for a while and let you know another day." Haeun sniffled and nodded with a sweet smile, reaching up to dry her eyes with one of the tissues Yeri had given her. "Are you okay?"

"No," She confessed, looking down at herself in discomfort. "M-my chest feels achy inside. I-is this n-normal?" Yeri pursed her lips and gave her a sad, sorry little nod. She didn't mean to hurt Haeun's feelings, but she supposed it was good for her to be exposed to such an emotion.

Over time, Haeun seemed to have grown numb to the feelings of hurt and sadness. Psychologically speaking, she must have done so automatically to help herself mentally cope with her old, miserable way of life. It was self-brainwashing, in a sense. Now that she was happier and didn't have to fear any physical repercussions every time she opened her mouth to speak her mind, her brain was allowing herself to experience those emotions again. 

Yeri suddenly wrapped her arms around the taller girl's slender waist in a hug. Haeun went still for a moment, almost in disbelief. Noone besides Irene had ever hugged her before. For some reason, she had expected every embrace to feel the same, but she found that Yeri's felt much different. While Irene's were both soft and gentle, Yeri's was more like the squeeze of a boa constrictor. There was no tact to her hugs, she just wrapped her arms around her victim and held them however she felt like holding them. It was different, but nice in its own special way.

After that, Yeri took the initiative as usual and decided that now was as good of a time as any to put the video games away. Instead, they spent the rest of the afternoon watching classic movies on VHS before dinner. Haeun had never been granted permission to watch movies before, at least not all the way through. Needless to say, she was completely entranced by the magic of the movies.

Being exposed to such immersive worlds of make believe made her forget about her tears from earlier. She enjoyed learning about each character and trying to predict the rest of the movie's plot only to be either pleasantly surprised or proven completely wrong. The Sound of Music, E.T., The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and now Titanic. However, Yeri soon realized that she had completely forgotten about the sex scene in the latter.

She covered her mouth with her hoodie paw, glancing over at Haeun with widened eyes. She had fully expected her to be shocked or even disgusted by the scene's implications, but much to Yeri's surprise, she kept her composure. Haeun squinted her eyes and leaned closer to the little TV, trying to wrap her head around what was supposed to be happening in the old-timey car.

"Why is th-the glass foggy? A-and why are they breathing so heavily?" She inquired in child-like curiosity, jumping a bit in alarm as Rose's hand smacked against the glass.

Yeri's face burned bright red and she turned away to clear her throat. How was she supposed to answer that question? Was Haeun ever taught what sex was or was she clueless in that department as well? Who was she kidding!? Of course she was! Yeri hissed and pinched the bridge of her nose, turning back around and trying to play it off with an awkward grin.

"Uh, d-do you know what sex is, unnie?"

"Y-you mean sexual intercourse?" Yeri nodded enthusiastically, thankful she at least wouldn't have to explain the birds and the bees to her in vivid detail.

"Well, when you do it, you start to breathe more and, you know... get all sweaty, so..." Haeun tilted her head, eyes bright and glistening with intrigue. Yeri sighed. "So it fogs up the glass. Jack and Rose were having sex, unnie." Yeri stated bluntly and to-the-point at which Haeun gasped dramatically in surprise.

"S-so Rose ssi is p-pregnant!?"

"What? No!" Yeri laughed. "Just because they had sex doesn't mean Rose got pregnant, unnie."

No matter how hard she tried, Haeun just couldn't understand the reasoning behind the lead couple's actions. "B-but if th-they weren't t-trying..." She paused to recompose herself as the question she was trying to get out was a bit long-winded compared to what she was used to. "T-to conceive a child, why else w-would they do so?" 

Yeri gave her a little shrug. "Because they love each other and that's what they wanted to do, I guess." 

As the duo's attention returned to the tiny TV screen, the gears in Haeun's head kept on turning. She had always been told that sex was only for mating and breeding -- nothing more, nothing less. She had lived there long enough to know that the suspicious sounds coming from Wendy or her sister's bedroom late at night weren't the results of a bad dream. It always worried her and often made her cry as she was under the impression that her sister's mate simply wanted more pups all the time. For the past several weeks she had convinced herself that Irene must have been pregnant with the start of a second litter and had made it a point to be extra careful with her, much to the smaller raven's confusion. Knowing what she knew now, Haeun wondered if that truly was the case.

"...Yerim ssi?"

"Hm?"

"Whe-when an Abeonim and an Eomeonim wa-want to make a baby," Haeun quickly caught herself. "O-or have sex... does the E-eomeonim feel pleasure?" Yeri was taken aback by such a question seemingly dropping out of thin air and landing in her lap. 

"Why do you ask?"

"N-no reason," She replied, shyly looking down at the rickety old floorboards underneath them. "I-I suppose I'm just curious. I wa-was told that it was o-only supposed to feel good for males o-or the alpha. I-I worry that unnie was in pain when she fe-fell pregnant, b-but I'm too shy to ask her."

"I wouldn't know." Yeri murmured, looking down at the socks on her feet. "I'm still a virgin."

"W-what does that mean, Yerim ssi?"

"It means I've never done it before -- at least not for real." She replied somewhat sadly. "I want to, though. Someday."

Haeun gave her head a confused little tilt at the way Yeri's usually cheerful demeanor faded into something more melancholic. Was "it" something to be desired? Haeun always thought that sex was a formality above anything else. 

Noticing a pair of doe eyes on her, Yeri put on a little smile and tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear. "I've read in books that it hurts for only a second, but then it feels good."

"Y-you could try it with me!" The ever so oblivious and naive Haeun offered sweetly in hopes of cheering her up. "I-I don't r-really know wha-what it is, but..."

Yeri chuckled softly under her breath. "I don't think you're ready for that just yet."

"Oh," The older girl muttered. "Okay." Haeun thought quietly to herself for a moment. "Does th-this mean I'm a v-virgin too?"

"I mean... I would assume so."

Haeun's sweet, innocent face lit up with excitement. "Th-then we can b-be virgins together!"

Clearly she was just happy to share something in common with Yeri regardless of what it was or what it meant. Still, it was sweet to see that she wanted to be a part of something with her. It was endearing.

The maknae laughed, her spirits swiftly lightening. She supposed it was nice to know she was no longer alone in her lack of experience. "Yeah," She sighed dreamily. "Together."

As the conversation began to die, Wendy's loud voice called up to them from the bottom of the staircase. "Girls! Dinner!" 

"Let's go, unnie." With Yeri's warm hand swiftly taking hold of her own, Haeun softly gasped but allowed herself to be escorted.

On their way down towards the orange light radiating from the kitchen onto the wooden floors near the base of the stairs, Haeun could only gaze at the younger girl with a thoughtful expression. In the dark of the tight passageway, she could only see the back of Yeri's head but even so, the beating of her heart kept its hurried pace. Her palms began to sweat and she hoped Yeri wouldn't feel the moisture or be disgusted by it. If she did, she certainly didn't show it.

The kitchen had become a hub of activity; the other members carrying plates over to the table while the trio of tiny tots babbled nonsense and repeatedly slapped the trays on their highchairs with eager smiles. It was a scene Joy was particularly fond of. For a moment, she paused what she was doing and looked around the room with a smile on her face. Several months ago she had a fantasy of eating breakfast as a family with their three little ones out of their mother's belly and seated in highchairs just as they were now.

Her eyes drifted from the pups over to the resident omega who was busy grilling meat over the stove with her back facing her. Joy remembered waking up the morning after her little sleepover with Irene. The way the older woman clung onto her back as they stood in front of that very stove with her pregnant stomach pressed against her. Although Joy's dream didn't exactly align with reality, the latter was significantly better somehow.

Upon entry, Yeri let her hand slip free from Haeun's grip and squeezed her way between Hyunhui's high chair and the wall behind it. The frost-haired runt was as quiet as ever, fiddling with a few plastic shapes on her tray, completely unbothered by her half-siblings' rowdiness. She felt Yeri bump her seat on accident but paid her no mind and instead tried to figure out why the star wouldn't fit inside of the square-shaped hole in her toy. Her youngest aunt smiled and kissed the distracted baby's temple as an apology before she took her seat at the table.

Having finished preparing her pups' sippy cups, Irene smiled as she noticed her tiny maknae flailing her cube of shapes around with excitement. Once she was through distributing their drinks, after having had to go back and fix her mistake of confusing Rowoon's with Sooyun's, she gently confiscated the object. "No toys at the table, love."

Hyunhui looked at her mother with a blank expression and watched her place the toy off to the side for the time being. Her little chin crinkled in an unhappy pout while she looked up at her mother with pleading eyes, a couple of sad whimpers announcing the presence of impending cries. Seeing as how Irene was still busy with setting the table, Wendy stepped in to divert their little daughter's attention. 

"Look, pumpkin!" She made her cup do a little dance of sorts on her plastic tray table, but the child wasn't paying her much heed. "Hyunhui!" The pup responded to her name, turning her heavy noggin with a pitiful frown that wavered as soon as she saw what Wendy was doing. The woman's facial features contorted into an expression that displayed a sense of exaggerated surprise.

Without much of a reaction, despite how much her brother and sister were giggling beside her, Hyunhui bent forward and placed her mouth over the spout of her periwinkle sippy cup. Happy to see that her mission was somewhat of a success, Wendy ran a hand over her daughter's thin head of pearly white hair. Getting Hyunhui's attention had also helped keep her wits about her, what with Irene being in the early stages of heat.

She smelled and looked delectable. What's worse, she knew it too and was making a statement in the way she swayed her hips or flipped her hair whenever her mate was around. It was taking every ounce of Wendy's self control and morality to keep her own urges at bay. However, underneath it all, she had to admit that the more perverted side of herself was enjoying the show.

In claiming Irene, she had also claimed the burden of her heat cycle. While the others could still smell one coming, the scent had lost its appeal after infusing itself with a bit of Wendy's own personal fragrance. Irene's body knew who it belonged to and made sure she knew it. Her heats had decreased in range and intensity due to the reassurance that came with knowing she had a life partner. On the flip side, this meant that all of her neediness and sexual advances were thrown only in Wendy's direction with brute force. If she even dared to deny Irene her sexy time, Wendy would be nagged half to death until she inevitably caved and gave her horny mate what she needed. She couldn't complain, though. After all, she knew exactly what she was getting into by agreeing to couple up with Irene. This was just another part of the package deal that came with being an omega's mate. 

Irene's descent into heat was always a slippery slope. Throughout the course of their meal, Irene had gotten more and more touchy with Wendy to the point where she had practically attached herself to her mate's right side. Her hand rubbed up and down the beta's bare thigh underneath the table which made her lover break out into a nervous sweat. The poor thing was really trying hard to keep her composure for the sake of their friends, her mate's sister, and the pups, but with Irene's pheromones and playful gestures tempting her, it was a battle she was destined to lose.

Yeri watched from across the table, munching on a bit of broccoli while Irene giggled and whispered something presumably naughty into Wendy's ear, nibbling on it a bit for added effect. The beta's eyes went wide and she looked at her lover in what appeared to be excited disbelief. Irene just flashed her a cheeky grin and bit her lower lip suggestively with half-lidded eyes.

The whole room jumped a bit as Wendy quickly shot out of her seat and stood at attention. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were widened as she awkwardly announced their dismissal while Irene hugged her hips suggestively. "U-umm, we've got some, uhhh, things to take care of! Yeah! Paperwork things!"

"Paperwork things, huh? Sounds interesting." Joy replied, a knowing smirk and a quirk in her brow letting Wendy know her story wasn't fooling anyone aside from Haeun. The beta simply swallowed as the feeling of Irene playing with her bottom broke her will to pretend they weren't about to run to the nearest room and bone. 

"Excuse us." The woman drunk off of her own pre heat squealed and giggled as she was pulled out of her seat by her lover's hand gripping her wrist. Yeri watched them jog across the living space towards their ajacent bedrooms located on the far side of it and snorted then returned her focus to her half-clean dinner plate.

"Hey, don't forget! It's your night on dish duty!" 

"I'll do them later!" And with that, Wendy's bedroom door slammed shut.

Joy sighed and gave her head a shake. "I get that unnie has needs, but does she really have to behave like that in front of the kids?" She muttered on her way over to the line of high chairs with three little jars of baby food in hand.

"She can't help it." Seulgi muffled out through a mouthful of food.

"I know, but still."

In the meantime, Haeun was still trying to read between the lines. She could smell that her sister was nearing her next heat, but she didn't understand why the others were so picky about them leaving to go handle some paperwork. It must have been really important if they had to leave in a hurry like that. Was it because they had to cut dinner time short to do so? That would make sense.

Haeun turned to ask Yeri a question. "Why d-did Seungwan ssi look s-so embarassed? I-it's only pa-paperwork, after all."

Yeri and Joy simultaneously snorted and covered their mouths in an effort to muffle the sounds. The latter turned away to laugh only for giggly Sooyun to see this as a golden opportunity to bop her Mommy on the head with her empty sippy cup. Haeun just glanced between them with a look of confusion on her dainty features.

"You do know Joohyun unnie's in heat, right?" Haeun nodded. "Then I wouldn't go out of my way to disturb them if I were you." Yeri strongly recommended while poking a piece of meat with her fork. "Unless you really want to see something you wish you hadn't. In which case, there's a fresh bottle of bleach under the sink."

"A-are they do-doing what Jack ssi and Ro-Rose ssi did?" While munching away on the remains of her plate, Yeri nodded.

A subtle shout echoed softly from Wendy's room. Haeun's eyes widened and she looked to the other end of the house with concern. She didn't want her sister to be in pain, but judging by the occasional yelp or cry coming from such direction, she was thoroughly convinced that she was. Was Wendy just trying to get more pups in her while she was ripe? The thought of it made Haeun somewhat angry.

"H-how long ha-has i-it been since unnie wa-was last pregnant?" She stuttered out, her anxiety making her tongue more ornery.

"Well, let's see." Seulgi pondered, looking up at the ceiling. "The pups were born on the thirteenth and fourteenth of September so..." She paused and counted on her fingers. "Eight months?"

"M-most omegas are re-ready to c-conceive again n-nine months after b-b-birth." Haeun stated with worry. "For prime omegas, i-it's often sooner."

"Well I doubt Joohyun unnie's ready to pop out any more youngyens any time soon." Joy chuckled while Rowoon messily ate from the spoon she held in front of him. "If they're smart, they'll use protection this time."

"I'm sure they will." Seulgi said in between bites.

Yeri spared a quick glance in Haeun's direction. She seemed to be rather concerned and confused, as per usual. However, the confusion was alarmingly overshadowed by the former which, in turn, worried Yeri as well.

"Wh-why would unnie n-not, Sooyoung ssi?" The tall girl inquired. "She's in heat. He-her body is r-ready to accept them."

"Just because her body is ready doesn't mean she is, unnie." Yeri explained softly. "Babies are a lot to handle and neither of them have the finances to support any more than the three we already have right now."

"B-but Seungwan ssi-"

"Seungwan unnie knows it too, unnie." The younger assured her, seeing where her train of thought was headed. "Trust me. Joohyun unnie is in good hands. She'll take good care of her, I promise."

The hand on her shoulder helped calm Haeun's nerves, but it didn't rid her of her fears entirely. She didn't know Wendy well, but she certainly didn't seem like the type to demand much from Irene. Still, she couldn't help but worry for her sister's wellbeing. She ultimately decided to place her faith in Yeri's words. After all, she had never given her a reason to doubt their sincerity.

"Yerim ssi?"

"Hm?"

"M-may we play th-the car game again once yo-you are through?"

The corners of the younger girl's lips quirked up in a smile. "Sure."

* * *

A knock on her door prompted Joy to lift her head away from her phone screen. She was somewhat surprised to find Seulgi standing in the darkened doorway with an awkward, tight-lipped smile on her face.

"Hey." 

"Hey," The older replied, her eyes shyly falling anywhere but Joy's. "Um, can we talk? I-If you're not too busy..."

"Uh, yeah." Joy said, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. "Sure."

The duo padded their way through the night-stricken kitchen and across the living room in awkward silence towards Seulgi's nook tucked away in a cramped little space beside the nursery. While Seulgi fiddled with her door, which had developed a nasty habit of getting stuck on a warped floorboard, Joy took a peek inside of the nursery. Three little cribs showed no signs of movement from their occupants. Crickets and cicadas chirped outside, a noise Joy once worried would disturb the pups but was relieved to find actually helped them sleep more soundly in the presence of such hushed lullabies.

Once the door was unstuck, Seulgi held the door open for Joy and let her slip through before pushing it closed and locking it behind them. She turned around and stood awkwardly with her back against the door and her hand on the door knob, not sure of how to begin having this conversation. Instead, she stalled by turning on the little lamp sitting on her vanity so they could at least see one another. Joy watched her do so then looked up at her expectantly from her place seated on the bed; the same exact spot she was in the night their entire relationship had changed.

Seulgi's monolid eyes glanced from her guest's face down towards her chest. "That's a cute locket." Joy looked down at the little rose gold heart dangling around her neck and smiled, taking it into her palm.

"Thanks. Eomma gave it to me." She opened it and inside were two images; one of Sooyun and the other of a face Seulgi was all too familiar with.

"Is that...?" Joy nodded, though she didn't dare look up. She knew that keeping a picture of Seulgi in her locket would probably make Seulgi a little uncomfortable. She just wanted to keep them both close to her for reasons she herself wasn't aware of. "U-um," Seulgi mumbled with a blush in her cheeks, clearing her throat to quickly change subjects. "So, I've been doing some thinking. You know, after Yerim-ah paid us a visit." Joy managed a humored chuckle and nodded as a gesture for her to continue. "I know that I have feelings for you, Sooyoung-ah." Seulgi confessed with sincerity. "I don't really know if it's love yet, but..."

"...But?"

"I was hoping maybe you could... give me a second chance?" The older wavered with a hopeful tone and expression. "I've given it a lot of thought and I really, _really_ like you, Sooyoung-ah. But I don't think I can give you everything you want in romance. That's why I was wondering if you would be willing to keep things casual until you find someone else who can."

"So... you mean like a friends with benefits sort of deal?" Seulgi hesitated but nodded. The younger's eyes squinted slightly while she bounced the idea off the walls of her conscience.

"I... I _think_ that's okay..." The older didn't seem convinced and neither did Joy.

What was wrong with her? For so long she had been pining over Seulgi yet now that she was willing to get something established, Joy was having second thoughts? Frustrated with herself, she pulled Seulgi into a kiss without much warning, hoping to feel those sparks again. Meanwhile, Seulgi was surprised, but found herself caught up in the moment. She moved to stradle Joy, urging her to lay back using the wall behind her bed for support.

"You're hard," Seulgi whispered through a few soft breaths. "Are you going into rut soon?" Joy nodded her head with a dreary look in her eyes. "I think I can help with that." The sterile alpha pressed a chaste peck to the younger girl's forehead, much to Joy's surprise, and palmed her erection through the material of her sleep shorts. "Do you want a hand with this one?" The raven whimpered and wanted so badly to say yes, but ultimately found herself pushing Seulgi away.

The older alpha looked at her with traces of worry and hurt in her eyes. It made Joy want to apologize and give in to her bodily desires, but she knew that it would only make things harder for the both of them in the end. It was best she cut the strings now before either of them got too wrapped up in whatever they had. At the end of the day, the arrangement was doomed to fail from the start. While Seulgi wanted a sleeping buddy, Joy wanted a girlfriend. If either of them were to bend their desires, one participant would always be unhappy or unfulfilled in some way. 

"If we can't be in a relationship, then I can't keep doing this, unnie." She stated quietly with her chin tucked in towards her chest. "I'm not cut out for casual flings. I want someone who will only look at me and give me all of the attention I need. I'm too clingy for you and I think you and I both knew that. You should have someone who can be separate love from sex. Who won't be a bother to you. I'm probably already too attached to you as it is, so..." Seulgi watched quietly from a comfortable distance while Joy fiddled with her locket, slipping her photo free from its confines, looking at it, then handing it back to her. "I'm sorry."

Seulgi looked down at the tiny picture in her palm and sighed. This had hurt her more than she had expected it to. At her core, Seulgi had always been a very soft and sweet girl. She just had very non-conventional ways of tackling life -- ways that made her happy. She always had big dreams and with big dreams came a lot of hard work and dedication. She didn't have time to stop what she was doing and fuss over trivial matters. Joy somehow understood this which was why she wanted to cut the fish free before things got too tangled. 

"If that's what you want, then I won't get in your way. I just thought that maybe things could have worked out for the both of us."

Joy could see Seulgi was blinking her eyes more rapidly now and tilted her head with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Seulgi breathed in a desperate attempt to hold back her true feelings until Joy was gone. "I'm happy you were honest with me. I'd hate to waste your time with something you weren't completely comfortable with." The raven pursed her lips and pulled Seulgi into a friendly embrace that was quickly reciprocated.

"I love you, unnie."

Seulgi's eyes burned with traces of fresh tears, but her pride refused to let them fall. Instead, she hugged Joy tighter and hoarsely rasped out a genuine, "Love you too." 

For a while the duo just sat on the bed, hugging one another somewhat awkwardly. Somehow, even though they were never officially an item, this had felt like a true breakup. Perhaps it was because they were already so close after spending so many years together. It was a first for Joy and a recurring theme for poor Seulgi. Aside from her very real relationship with Irene, she had tried her hand at forming something that better suited her own needs only to fail miserably several times. Even the few people she saw that claimed to be on that same wavelength either caught the love bug and began to demand more from her than she was willing to give or moved a whole ocean away. Allowing herself to settle into the conventional relationship structure out of sheer lack of knowing what else to do would only make herself as well as her hypothetical partner miserable by association. It's not that she was allergic to the idea of love, only the way in which it was often portrayed. These failures were what prodded her towards coming to accept a life inside of a corral made up of solitude and perpetual loneliness, but what other choice did she have? 

Joy made a move to end the hug, but Seulgi was not so eager to do the same. Instead, she held on tightly which made Joy release an airy chuckle through her nose. When they managed to finally separate, the explicit noises coming from the room next door make them snicker and snort in spite of themselves. 

"Looks like someone's awake," Joy giggled. "I'm so sorry you have to share a wall with them."

"Maybe we could convince them to migrate into Joohyun unnie's room." The younger stated her agreement and began to think up a few ways to get Seulgi away from her noisy neighbors for a while.

"Think we could go out for lunch tomorrow?" Joy inquired sweetly. "Just as friends?"

"Yeah." Seulgi rasped, masking a soft sniffle. "I'd like that."

After a few more minutes of casual conversation, Joy bid Seulgi goodnight and sauntered back across the house towards her and Yeri's bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, Seulgi's meltdown commenced. Warm tears and ragged sobs spilled out from her aching heart as she flopped forwards onto her bed, quickly burying them in a decorative pillow.

While she may not have been able to provide everything she wanted, Seulgi was eager to do her very best for Joy. She wanted to treat her like the princess she was; take her out dancing, show her all of her favorite hole-in-the-wall spots around the city, lend her a helping hand during her ruts or whenever she felt she needed it. The thought of what their weird little relationship could have been had put her in such a cheerful mood as of late but now that beaken of hope had been squandered.

She never once put the blame on Joy, though. At the end of the day, she had a point. Joy was rather clingy and demanding in love. She expected nothing but the best as anything less was unbefitting of her. This was how her dynamic manifested itself in her. In Seulgi, it was her lone wolf lifestyle. In Bogum, it was his chivalry and charm. As for Joy, it was her confident, border-line arrogant, spark that also existed in many omegas as well. While this behavior normally would have deterred Seulgi, it was her sweeter side that only came out around those she cared for that made up for it in the end. Even after all of it was said and done, Joy hugged her and was willing to keep their friendship strong. 

That still didn't stop Seulgi's tears from falling.

She cried and cried some more, long after the couple next door finished what they were doing and fell back asleep, until she had no tears left to shed. She wasn't sure how she'd go about facing Joy tomorrow, what with her heart still drifting through her system in tiny fragments. Although, despite the events of the night, another part of her was excited to spend a few extra hours in her company.

Unsure of what to think or feel anymore, she rolled over onto her side, hugging her pineapple plushie against her chest, and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of night creatures chirping outside her window. She knew that everything would be okay in the end. It just hurt to feel so unworthy of love. Why couldn't she just feel comfortable with commitment like everybody else?

With a heavy and forlorn sigh, Seulgi shifted under the covers and allowed herself to slip out of consciousness under the heavy weight of the blanket known as emotional exhaustion.


	48. XLVIII

"There's a fireplace! What if one of the kids falls in and burns themselves!?" Wendy continued scrolling and looked burdened by what she saw. "Ugh, the corners on the counter tops are practically death traps... And what about these trees!? No family worth trusting has a bunch of _trees_ in their front yard!"

"Babe, would you relax?" Irene chuckled while massaging her mate's tense shoulders. "It's a great house! The community's safe, it's well within our budget, the neighbors seem friendly, there's plenty of grade A schools to pick from, and it's only a fifteen minute drive from the place we've been looking at. I don't see why you're being so paranoid about this."

"Because what good is any of it if the others aren't with us?"

Understanding her dilemma, Irene slid her arms down to wrap them around her mate's waist, resting her head against her back. "You know we'll have to tell them eventually."

Wendy sighed, "I know."

Her eyes flicked back over to her laptop screen. It really was a beautiful place; well-maintained, relatively modern, plenty of lawn space, an open floor plan, a big kitchen for Wendy to play around in, a beautiful screened-in back porch, it had it all. She knew that their growing family needed a place of their own to truly flourish. It just didn't feel like home yet and for that reason, Wendy had been dragging her feet. 

Of course they were both upset about having to part ways from the rest of the group, but deep down, they both knew that it was necessary. Not only for themselves, but for the others as well. Despite her enthusiasm, Irene had also found it quite difficult to let go of the past and move forward. As an omega, she had become attached to the place where her children's roots had been engrained. After all, Bogum's bachelor pad was their first home too. What was once a vacant house now carried a plethora of memories they would have to leave behind. It would be hard, but in the end, it was time for them all to leave the nest in search of new horizons.

"Aammaaaaaaaa!" 

Irene opened her eyes and watched as little green dots appeared on the baby monitor beside her bed each time Sooyun's tiny voice tried calling her name. "Aaammaaaaaaaaa!" With a deep sigh, she gave Wendy's back a soft rub and scooched by to go see what her daughter needed. 

The bear family was sitting on the living room floor playing with some blocks together while some children's TV show served as background noise. Upon sensing another presence passing by, Seulgi looked up and shot Irene a friendly smile before returning her attention to her little cub's newest creation. Meanwhile, Yeri was in the kitchen teaching Haeun how to make one of her awful food atrocities. Irene paused in front of the nursery to watch them for a moment. Haeun was stirring ketchup into her ramyeon with furrowed brows, sparing glances from Yeri's bowl up to her face as if she was asking if it was all supposed to be some sort of practical joke.

The raven giggled from afar, but was suddenly floored when Yeri gave Haeun's lips an innocent tap, spreading a bit of ketchup on them only to stand up on the tips of her toes and kiss it away immediately after. Her sister appeared to be just as shocked and speechless as she was. However, Yeri just went about her business like it never even happened with a sneaky little smile on her face.

Now _that_ was a couple Irene wasn't expecting, though she had to admit; they did look pretty good together. As an older sister figure towards both girls, she wanted to feel a little more protective but she couldn't bring herself to lecture either of them on the subject. Instead, she let them be and returned her focus to her motherly duties.

Sooyun was standing up with the help of her hands gripping the edge of her crib. The little one had been looking out the window during her wait and immediately turned her head as soon as she noticed her mother traipsing through the doorway. She whined through her pacifier and bounced in place impatiently.

Irene picked her up by her underarms, propped her up on her hip, and carefully reached down to return Sooyun's plastic paci as it had popped free from her mouth. A few smooches were placed onto Sooyun's chubby cheek before they made their way out into the main room, taking an immediate right turn to join Yeri and Haeun in the kitchen.

Yeri looked up from her cup of hot noodles long enough to acknowledge her leader's presence. "'Morning."

"'Morning."

Without another word, Irene set Sooyun down in her high chair before returning to the nursery to wake Hyunhui. In the meantime, Haeun watched cautiously as Yeri cracked an egg. She was relieved to see something relatively normal going into her friend's lunch until she realized only the shell was being sprinkled into the mix. She looked at Yeri with eyes that screamed in horror which made the younger giggle.

"What!? It adds a little crunch!"

As Seulgi made her entrance, she analyzed what was going on and snorted. "Whatever you do, don't eat anything Yerim-ah makes," She warned her with a baby grabbing at her shirt. "Trust me. They're recipes for nothing but disaster." Yeri clicked her tongue in aggravation.

"At least I wash my hands before cooking." 

"What's that?"

"I said a squash ate my pants for a cookie."

Haeun glanced down at the younger girl standing beside her with furrowed brows. "No, Yerim ssi. You said-" A hand quickly muffled the remainder of her honest correction -- an action that received a startled and confused side-eyed glance from its recipient. Yeri shushed her and returned to what she was doing while Seulgi carefully guided Rowoon's chubby little legs through the holes in his highchair. 

Irene returned shortly after with her yawning runt leaned over her shoulder. She smiled at the tiny squeak such a reflex made and gave her daughter's back an apologetic pat before gingerly placing her down in her own chair beside her brother's. As soon as she was seated, Hyunhui closed her eyes and let her little head fall forwards to rest on her tray table. Having noticed her for the first time in several hours, Rowoon struggled to lean over the gap between his highchair and Hyunhui's to sweetly kiss the side of his baby sister's sleepy head. It was a loving gesture he had picked up after watching the adults. Needless to say, since the ability was so new to him, he was not sparing with how he distributed them.

He flopped over to the right side of his chair to kiss Sooyun as well, but was startled by a fellow baby's small hand bopping him on the forehead. A little pout of firm denial told Rowoon that his other sister was not interested in receiving his kisses. His face scrunched up in sadness and he began to wail due to the fact he had been spooked coupled with having had his feelings hurt.

While she sympathized with him, Irene couldn't help but find some humor in the exchange. "You can't go around giving kissies to everyone, bub." She ran a hand over the whimpering pup's fuzzy head and placed a little kiss of her own on his crown. This seemed to calm him down a bit, though his little chin remained crinkled as he wrapped his arms around Irene's forearm and clung to it like a panda cub to a tree branch.

Having witnessed the exchange from the far side of the kitchen island, Yeri chuckled under her breath while smearing peanut butter onto a piece of bread for Haeun. The latter watched her curiously as she pressed a second piece coated in a layer of strawberry jelly on top of the one spread with peanut butter. "And voila! The perfect snack!" 

Haeun seemed a little unsure, but politely accepted the sandwich from the younger girl. After trying Yeri's secret ramyeon recipe, she was beginning to lose trust in the younger's taste. However, with the way she was gazing up at her, waiting to see her reaction, Haeun caved and took a tentative bite. 

Sparks lit up her eyes at the perfect combination of sweet and savory dancing across her taste buds. Yeri sported a proud, knowing smirk as she watched the older beta chew. "Good, right?" Haeun nodded enthusiastically.

While the starry-eyed girl continued munching on her sandwich beside her, Yeri watched from the far side of the island as Irene fed her litter tiny spoonfuls of baby food. It had been nine months since the pups had been born yet everything still felt so surreal to her. Irene was a mom now -- a real mom. Not just some running gag they kept up only to tease her. Yeri found it hard to believe that the cute little nuggets of innocence and joy seated at the table were once sharing her unnie's body making her feel so uncomfortable during the time in which she had to carry them. Yeri had been there to witness each of them coming into the world from start to finish. Sure, she had broken a hand and had probably ruined at least six wastebaskets in the process, but she was the only member -- aside from Irene herself -- who had earned the right to wear that medal of honor. She even got to cut the girls' umbilical chords. It made her feel like she had played a more significant role in things. Not only did it bring her even closer to Irene, but her new baby brother and sisters as well.

However, the more she watched Irene interact with them, the more Yeri found herself missing how obnoxiously clingy Irene was with her during her nesting faze. They hadn't shared any one-on-one time together in weeks. Of course, she knew that Irene hadn't meant anything by it. She was just so busy with managing the pups and helping Wendy recover from her chest cold that she had very little time set aside for anything else. She always looked so exhausted these days to the point where Yeri felt bad for entertaining the thought of bothering her with such a selfish thirst for attention. She just missed being doted on by the woman who raised her.

Although she would never admit to it out loud, she wanted nothing more than for Irene to pull her into her nest again and hold her, even just for a little while. Instead she had gotten embarrassed and spent most of her time trying to push her unnie away. Yeri mentally cursed herself for not appreciating Irene's gesture for what it was at the time. Knowing what she knew now, she wished she could go back and relive what was supposed to be such a peaceful memory for her to share with Irene. Now it was a memory that left her feeling nothing but regret. She had lost her chance.

With a forlorn sigh, Yeri grabbed Haeun by the wrist and led her towards the stairs. "We'll be in the attic if you need us." Seulgi gave her a chipper thumbs up before returning to her task at hand. However, Irene was not so oblivious.

The group's maknae was notorious for experiencing abrupt mood swings, but after spending well over a decade in one another's company, it became easier to tell the difference between a sudden influx of emotions and genuine disappointment. Irene had always been the best at this and after stepping into motherhood, it had become even easier. As much as she wanted to go ask what was wrong, the cloud of drowsiness numbing her brain made it difficult for her to find the energy to stand, let alone form a coherent sentence.

A big yawn caught Seulgi's attention making her chuckle lightly under her breath. "You should take the day off, unnie. Get some rest. We can take it from here." She reached out to take Irene's empty jar of baby food over to the sink to be rinsed out and placed with the recycling. 

"But I have to do the laundry, sweep the-" She cut herself off with another long yawn. "clean the bathrooms, vacuum, cook dinner, give the pups a bath, tuck them in..."

"We can do all of that for you. It's what we're here for." Seulgi said with a smile while drying off her hands. "I'll even put Joy on laundry duty if it'll make you feel better. You could really use a day to kick back and relax. Maybe spend some time with Yerim-ah later if you're feeling up to it." Irene nodded and rubbed her eyes with the bottom of her palms. 

"In that case, I think I'll go take a nap." The bear woman seemed happy her idea had taken root. She bid her good day and began wiping down the table while Irene sauntered off towards her bedroom. However, before she could even leave the kitchen, a tiny voice calling after her put Irene's plan on pause.

"Ammaa."

Seulgi picked Sooyun up and began bouncing her in hopes of distracting her long enough for Irene to get some time alone, but the worried pup was having none of it. Each time Seulgi turned around, Sooyun whined and turned her head to counter it. She simply refused to let her mother out of her sight and Irene didn't have the energy to deny her. Instead, she came closer and let Sooyun reach her way into her waiting arms. Seulgi let her do so, albeit reluctantly, and glanced at Irene with an expression riddled with uncertainty.

"Will you be able to rest at all with her around?"

"She'll be fine," Irene said with a soft sigh of exhaustion. "She'll settle down once she has her bunbun." The alpha nodded, though she still didn't seem thoroughly convinced.

A little croon from her baby lamb caught Irene's attention. From her place at the table, Hyunhui appeared to be struggling to find a position comfortable enough for her to fall asleep. She flashed the maknae a sweet but somewhat apologetic smile and turned to Seulgi to ask her for one last favor. "Would you mind putting Hyui-ya back down for a nap? Woonie too, if he gets tired."

"Sure thing. Let me just wrap things up here."

While Irene sauntered off towards her room with Sooyun, Seulgi resumed her task of wiping down the table. It was therapeutic; watching all of the crumbs and dry debris being brushed away and replaced by a thin sheen of water. The house was shrouded in a peaceful balance between silence and white noise. Just the right level of sound leaked down from the girls hanging out upstairs as well as the mouth of her dear son crooning around the 'gogo' in his mouth while kicking his little legs merrily.

When she was through cleaning the table, Seulgi tossed the wet rag into the sink and quickly washed her hands. Even though their immune systems were strong enough by now, she had still made it a habit to decontaminate herself before interacting with the pups. With a shake of the hands and a trip to the towel dispenser, Seulgi was ready to put the duo down for a while.

"Alright, you two. Nap time."

Rowoon stuck his tongue out, feet pedaling with excitement, and lifted his little arms above his head in anticipation of his sire's reach. She picked him up and spun him in a circle while making airplane noises before settling the giggling boy on her hip. Next came Hyunhui, but the poor thing was already so close to falling asleep.

Seulgi smiled at the cute little purrs coming from the snoozing child's lungs and gently lifted her out of her highchair. Her eyes widened in surprise at how weightless the dainty little pup was. She may as well have been holding a pillowcase filled to the brim with the lightest of feathers. Despite her careful intentions, the little one woke up a bit, whimpering her frustrations into her aunt's shoulder.

Seulgi smiled and held her safely in the crook of her elbow, wiping away a bit of drool from her cheek while slowly padding towards the nursery. "Sorry, Hyui. Imo'll let you sleep now."

"Mi-Mimmie." The alpha dared not swoon at the name Hyunhui had decided to call Wendy. It was an idea she had gotten from watching Micky Mouse with her brother and sister one morning. In her little mind, she thought that her sire resembled Minnie Mouse due to her expressive eyebrows and vocal color and from then on, Wendy had officially been named after a cartoon mouse. She didn't mind it, though. If anything, she was overjoyed that her daughter's first words had been used in reference to her.

"Minnie will see you later." Seulgi softly assured her. "Right now it's sleepy time."

A squeaky little yawn followed by a nuzzle against her arm sufficed for a reply.

* * *

Yeri gawked at the TV, jaw hanging slack as the placements for their latest Mario Kart race flashed across the bubbled screen. Toad was sitting pretty in the first place slot while Yoshi had been dethroned and cast down a level into second. In the handful of months Haeun had been living with them, this had been the first time she had outperformed her master. Yeri was speechless though she had to admit, she was rather impressed.

"Wow. Looks like you beat me this time. Nice job."

Haeun ducked her head and blushed, carding her fingers through her long, silky strands of hair. "Thanks." She replied shyly with hints of a proud smile quirking up the corners of her mouth. "I s-suppose I just go-got lucky."

"Nah, you're a beast." The younger giggled. "Guess all of that practice finally paid off."

Haeun's tiny smile spread across her features like wild fire, though she kept it well-hidden behind curtains of dark tresses. It felt good to be praised by someone she thought so highly of. It made her want to do more to impress her. She remembered Yeri's actions from earlier -- how they made her feel all warm and gushy inside. Would Yeri feel it too if she was to do the same?

Doe eyes peeked through a gap in her mane, watching Yeri as she removed the disk from her Wii and popped it back in its case. What she did next made Haeun snort quietly under her breath. Rather than place the game neatly back on the shelf Haeun had taken the liberty of organizing alphabetically for her, she simply tossed it to the side without giving it a second thought. It was like a reflex at this point.

While Yeri was preoccupied with mending a few of the old damaged wires with duct tape, Haeun took it upon herself to put the game back on the shelf. However, Yeri failed to notice her presence nearby and as soon as she lifted her head, they were hardly a centimeter away from touching noses. The mischief in Yeri's eyes had faded for only a second, but it was just long enough for Haeun to take notice. The younger's eyes leaped quickly from feature to feature, almost as if they were trying to soak up every minute detail of Haeun's pretty face.

Once the proximity of their faces clicked in her mind, Haeun's turned an endearing shade of red and she shifted away to create a bit more space between them. Yeri flashed her a playful but somewhat flirtatious smile before carrying on with her business -- almost like it never even happened. Why did she look so unfazed? Had it not affected her as much as it did Haeun?

The older beta laid a hand over her chest and felt her heart race. These effects of adrenaline attacking her system weren't new to her, though they were certainly much stronger now. She had felt this way before -- earlier in the kitchen when Yeri touched her lips with hers. Haeun's fingers subconsciously came up to rest over the sensitive organ while her eyes flickered over to the girl in question.

"Damn thing," She grumbled while repeatedly slapping the side of the old TV set. "It's gotta be older than Joohyun unnie. Maybe I should start saving up for a flat screen..." Haeun quietly cleared her throat before speaking.

"Um, Yerim ssi?" Her soft words were enough to snap the younger girl out of her thoughts. Yeri turned her head and flashed her a little smile, waiting to hear whatever it was she had to say. The pair of eyes watching her made Haeun nervous, but she knew by now that there was no judgement behind them. Those eyes were friendly eyes -- not the eyes that once looked down on her, scrutinizing her for her shortcomings. Haeun twiddled her thumbs shyly while she spoke. "Wh-what was that y-you showed me earlier?"

"You mean my ramyeon special? It's pretty great, right!? The others said it tastes like vomit!" Yeri tisked with a roll of the eyes. "Can you believe that!?"

"U-um... yes..." Haeun responded in a meek little voice. "Actually, I was t-talking about the other thing. The th-thing you did w-with your lips."

"My lips?" The younger thought about it for a moment before the little light bulb suspended above her head flickered on. "Oh! You mean that little kiss I planted on you?" She asked through a giggle laden with cheeky energy. "Surprised you, huh?"

"Yes. B-but what was it f-for? Why did you k-kiss me?"

Yeri shot her a wary glance, like she was seeing if Haeun was looking for an honest answer and, of course, she was. The smaller brunette frustrated her lower lip and released a little sigh through the nose, glancing back in Haeun's direction. The older girl was puzzled by the expression she wore. She looked... skittish.

"Lay down on the floor and I'll show you."

"P-pardon?" Haeun stuttered out with a flustered look about her.

"Just trust me." Yeri ducked her head a bit in an attempt to hide her own fluttering emotions. "I can show you better than I can tell you."

With a nervous gulp, Haeun cooperated and laid down flat on the creaky attic floor. It took a moment for Yeri to work up enough courage to execute what she was trying to do. Nevertheless, she soon appeared in Haeun's line of sight once more. She looked up at Yeri with wide, almost fearful eyes while she waited for whatever was supposed to happen next. She figured this was just another one of the younger girl's pranks, but squeaked in surprise when Yeri laid down on top of her with her head on her chest.

"Y-Yerim ssi!?" The smaller girl released a bubbly little giggle.

"Do you get it? I'm crushing you!"

Haeun's eyes slowly widened and glistened with a fresh, new layer of understanding. "Y-you... have a c-crush on me?"

"Yeah. I do." Yeri said earnestly while sitting up to seat herself on Haeun's pelvis. "A kiss is just another way of saying it."

"Oh." Still a bit shocked by the smaller girl's confession, Haeun remained as stiff as a board, staring up at the rafters for a while in thought. "D-do you think we-we could...?" 

Yeri put on a tight-lipped smile and nodded. The initial engagement was awkward to say the least, but soon they fell into a method that worked for both of them. Granted, the kiss wasn't at all fancy or passionate in nature, but it cruised at a pace fit for both of their experience levels -- or lack, thereof. It was truly nothing more than a series of pecks -- pure amateur work at best -- but it conveyed the same message just as effectively as a hardcore Hollywood makeout session would. Their vanilla pecks were enough for them and that was all that really mattered in the end.

"Hey, have you two seen my-? Woah."

Joy stood frozen somewhere between the center and top of the staircase, watching the scene as it unfolded before her very eyes. It seemed the duo didn't notice her presence, too caught up in what they were doing to care about their surroundings. The raven chuckled under her breath and decided to leave the new couple alone. She could try asking them again later.

With a few mental words of encouragement, Joy spared the girl who was practically her little sister one last glance over her shoulder until the she disappeared beneath the floorboards. The sound of the notoriously squeaky stair creaking under Joy's weight made Yeri pull away in surprise. Luckily no one was there, but that didn't mean someone hadn't been. Haeun took a moment to catch her breath, shyly peeking up at Yeri through her long upper lashes.

"Th-thanks for that."

"Oh. Yeah, no problem." Yeri replied with cheekbones as red as strawberries. 

"M-maybe we could do-do that again sometime."

"Yeah," The young beta breathed softly in agreement. "I'd like that."

* * *

The peace and quiet filling Irene's bedroom was refreshing to say the least. With spending so much time in close quarters with eight other people, it was only natural they would all need some time alone to recharge their batteries though none more so than Irene. The cloudy muck outside made her all the more happy to be cuddled up in bed with her baby sleeping beside her and her mate working diligently from her place near her feet. The glow from Wendy's laptop screen illuminated her features with blue light. Irene sighed softly in adoration, watching her being so focused on whatever she was doing -- probably investigating the new house for the umpteenth time.

Sooyun, who had been snoozing ever so serenely in the warmth her mother's body provided, made a soft sound of disturbance to which Irene responded by gently kissing the top of her head in an effort to sooth her dreams. 

Wendy spared them a glance over the top of her computer screen and smiled. It was one of those moments she wished she could save forever in her internal hard drive to be reopened whenever she needed it. While she may have still been very wary of the pain that came with childbirth, she really was eager to continue building their little family with Joohyun. She recalled the conversation they had several months ago, how Irene had brought up the subject of having more children and inquired about her preferences in terms of size. Wendy had sort of swept that conversation under the rug out of fear and uncertainty, but she supposed it was a fair enough question. There needed to be a cap on how many pups they conceived. Otherwise, Irene 2.0 would live without limits until she had no more eggs left to work with. At which point, they would be surrounded by upwards of twenty kids with no means to take care of them. Not to mention the pain that many births would inflict upon Irene.

While she hadn't made it in time to see Irene through her first experience with labor, she had most definitely heard it. It was awful. Wendy wasn't ready to see Irene hurting, nor would she ever be. Regardless, as a prime, Irene would always carry the burden of her curse otherwise known as baby fever. It didn't really matter how badly labor hurt as her brain would play an evil trick on her every time, wiping her slate clean of the memories that would remind her of just how agonizing the experience truly was. Wendy was just hopeful her mate would be allowed an epidural in the future if she so chose. At least then, in theory, she would be left completely numb to the pain. 

Although, even with all of this concern swamping her mind, Wendy couldn't deny the fact that she too wanted more pups to raise someday. If only childbirth wasn't so painful and traumatizing. Irene still had yet to recover from her severe lack of confidence and poor body image. Even after breastfeeding triplets, Irene still hadn't been able to shed off as much of the baby weight as she'd wanted. Every morning and every night, Wendy had caught her inspecting her tummy in front of a mirror when she thought no one was looking, whether it be the one hanging on Wendy's wardrobe door or her own. It broke Wendy's heart to see it. There had been moments where she had noticed her mate blinking tears away to better sell her lie, insisting she was fine when it was very clear she wasn't. Beneath it all, Wendy knew that her life as an idol had curbed her mentality into thinking that her old stick-thin figure was ideal. Rather, Wendy would have adored her just the same at any size and she made sure to remind her everyday. Still, it wasn't enough to rid Irene of the past voices nagging her to lose some more weight.

If being pregnant and the aftermath that came with it made Irene feel this poorly about herself, Wendy wasn't sure if it was worth putting her through such hardship again. She knew that they both wanted more kids. That much was a given. Wendy still held on tightly to her vision of mini Irenes running around, giggling up a storm in their future home, wherever that may be. However, as much as she wanted that for them, if birthing biological children put the overall health of her mate up on an altar as a sacrifice in exchange for such a dream, then she would be more than willing to consider adoption as another viable option.

Her eyes returned to the house displayed on the open tab of her laptop screen. She leaned forward slightly and clicked through the different rooms in deep concentration. The image in her mind copied and pasted itself into the photos, seeing if this particular establishment would improve their quality of life as a family. She could see it; their little ones playing ball in the backyard, dashing out the front door to meet the bus, her and Irene's things occupying the master bedroom. 

"Hyunnie?"

"Hm?"

"When were you hoping to start trying for another baby?" Irene looked away from her daughter in favor of engaging in her mate's topic of conversation, equipped with worried eyes.

"Sweetie, we don't even have the restaurant yet."

"I know," Wendy replied shyly, diverting her eyes and rubbing the nape of her neck. "I just figured we could at least start talking about it. You know, now that we have a plan."

Irene blinked her eyes blankly for a moment, trying to steer her train of thought down that track. "Oh. Okay, well... It would definitely need to wait until we've at least made a down payment on the house. Hopefully we'll have the restaurant up and running by next summer, assuming we manage to win over the owner..."

"It's a lot..."

"Yeah." Irene sighed while watching Sooyun's hand subconsciously wrap around her finger in her sleep. "But, at least we have each other. Right?" Wendy pursed her lips and gave a little nod, gazing thoughtfully at Sooyun's sleeping face. It was strange. When she was awake, she was the perfect mix between Irene and Joy's genetics, but when she was asleep, she looked more like the latter.

It always amazed her to see how the pups related to their respective parents. Seulgi's strong genes had easily overpowered Irene's when making Rowoon and the reverse had mostly been true for Hyunhui. She couldn't help but wonder what their future offspring would look like. Would they take more after their mother like Hyunhui or would there be other unique variations in features, similar to Hyunhui's platinum hair? Wendy was enthusiastic to find out, though that implied that Irene would be willing to carry again. 

Wendy spared her mate a sad little side-eyed glance. "Do you _want_ to be pregnant again?"

"I do...but then again I don't." She confessed quietly. "Being pregnant is fine, I can work with that. But labor..." She paused to gather her emotions, playing with her pup's tiny foot to help herself feel better. "I love the pups and I would never regret having them, but labor made me question whether or not it would all be worth it." A soft sniffle telling of Irene's unspoken nightmares yanked on Wendy's tender heartstrings. "It's scary, Seungwan-ah. I felt like I was dying."

Hearing the waver in Irene's voice put everything into perspective for Wendy. She knew that the process of labor -- especially without an epidural -- was a painful one, but she never could have imagined it would be on such levels of agony. Perhaps she simply didn't want to.

The guilt she had buried dug its way back up. While Irene was experiencing the epitome of the utmost cruelty the circle of life had to offer, where had she been? She thought she was dying. She had been torn open and sewn back together like a living voodoo doll, yet where was the one who was supposed to be her moral support?

Yes, Yeri had been at her side from start to finish, but she was still so young herself. While Irene had been struck by a state of shock after all of it was said and done, Yeri had fallen under its spell right along with her. The whole experience had rendered her completely mute after all she had seen and heard. At some point between Sooyun's birth and a screeching Irene breaking her hand, Yeri decided she never wanted kids -- at least none that were biological.

For several hours, Yeri refused to so much as look at Wendy or Joy once she was sure that Hyunhui had made it out safely. She hated them for leaving Irene alone to suffer. Not too far beneath the surface, she knew that they had no intentions towards neglecting her. If they had known Irene would go into labor that day, they would have stayed home and looked after her as well. But after seeing all that Irene would have gone through alone had she not been there to at least hold her hand, Yeri was seething with rage and resentment towards the older girls. Over time, that resentment faded into forgiveness, though she still kept that as ammunition to win any major argument they got into. What could anyone say to counter _that_ grenade? Correct, absolutely nothing.

"If I have to deliver through a c-section again, that would be fine. Or with an epidural." Irene spoke quietly just as Sooyun began to wake up. "But I will _never_ deliver naturally again. Do I make that much clear?" 

Wendy confirmed it with a nod. "Crystal."

Sooyun crooned and stretched her tiny body, her mouth opening in a hoarse yawn. The presence of her child seemed to calm Irene's burdened conscience. She smiled and picked her up, resting her over her shoulder while rubbing her back to help her out of her naptime drowsiness. With a kiss to the cheek, Irene sat her daughter down on the bed and reached for the pink bunny Joy had given her as her first toy, otherwise known as bunbun, and placed it into her outstretched arms for her to snuggle. 

"She really loves bunbun, huh." Wendy chuckled while gently running a hand over the pup's full head of dark hair. Sooyun looked up at her with bright eyes and a pink, floppy bunny ear in her mouth -- a habit she had picked up rather quickly after birth. Irene tisked and looked down at her with disapproving eyes.

"I wish she wouldn't chew on his ears. Her teeth might get misaligned." She commented while inspecting her daughter's four pearly white baby teeth, much to Sooyun's annoyance.

Wendy chuckled and gave the pup's head a pat. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. If it comes to that, we can afford to get her some braces."

A pair of eyes glanced up at her, laden with an emotion Wendy wasn't quite familiar with. "...We?"

"Sure. Why? Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no." Irene replied while running a hand through her hair. "Sorry. I guess I'm still confused about the whole family dynamic we have going on. I mean, what if one of the others wants custody? I don't want to get into a heated court battle over this."

"Oh," The beta murmured while gently stroking bunbun's other ear. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I suppose we'll have to take that up with them later. For now, I want some Wannie snuggles." 

Wendy chuckled and invited Irene over to lay her head on her lap. The omega settled with a sigh of contempt, teasing Sooyun's tiny, sock-covered foot and making her giggle. Wendy smiled fondly down at her mate. She loved nothing more than to see her interacting with her pups. She always looked so happy and weightless whenever she had the time to play with them, like she hadn't a care in the world. It would be a shame to split them up. 

Wendy kissed the top of her lover's head and carded her fingers through her hair while they watched Sooyun play. The little one squealed and rolled onto her back, hugging her bunny with a happy, lovely smile on her precious face. She peeked up at her Eomma and rolled over to lay on her tummy, crawling her way a short distance across the bed over to her. When she finally reached her destination, she gave her arms and legs a rest, lying flat on her belly for the time being until she worked up enough strength having decided to roll herself back over instead. 

She reached up and waved her hands, grazing the ends of her mother's black hair. When she grew bored of that, she got up and crawled her way closer to her front, nuzzling her sweetly. "Amma, Ammamama-"

Irene giggled and blew a raspberry into Sooyun's chubby cheek making her shriek and laugh hysterically. This continued for quite a while and it tugged a laugh out of Wendy. She began to make her notoriously exaggerated surprised expressions each time Irene teased the pup back and it only made Sooyun's laughter that much louder. When the mood of the room eventually settled back down again, Wendy showered Irene's cheek in a few pecks to which the latter responded with a barely audible hum of approval.

"You did such a good job with her -- all of them."

The compliment resonated with Irene for quite a while after that. It was something she didn't know she really needed to hear until the moment those words left her lover's lips. She smiled and reciprocated the gesture before returning her head to its rightful place on Wendy's lap.

The coming weeks would be a time of change for their blossoming family. But for now, at least they had the joy of being in one another's company. 


	49. XLVIX

It couldn't have been a more perfect night. Trillions of stars twinkling in the sky, beautiful strands of fairy lights wrapped around the nearby tree trunks and canopy, wine glasses clinking over the hardy laughter of the guests, and a familiar young boy giggling while chasing a strayed toad through the grass surrounding the venue, dirtying his nice dress suit in the process. 

Wendy's lips left the rim of her own glass to see what all of the commotion was about just in time to witness the child leap in hopes of catching the amphibian only to land in a nearby mud puddle. There was no doubt his mother would scold him for it later, but for now, Wendy just sighed through her smile and watched the boy's sister chase after him, screeching for him to leave the toad alone. The sound of a man clearing his throat snared her attention.

She quickly turned and lifted her chin to see the face of Irene's father towering over her. She took a second to swallow her nerves, bowing politely though his scowl never wavered. That smoky, blank eye of his did her no favors in reading his temper. His stern and menacing expression quirked up into a bright, toothy eye-smile. 

"There's our favorite daughter-in-law!" Wendy grunted in both surprise and terror as the sturdy alpha reached out to wrap her up in a tight squeeze. She tried to squeak out some sort of greeting, but the man's tree trunk arms prevented her from doing so. Mere moments before the oxygen was completely cut off from her head, Mrs. Bae urged her husband to set her down.

"I-It's nice to see you too, sir." She wheezed, running her hands over her petite frame to smooth out the wrinkles in her tux. 

"We've been looking for you everywhere, darling! I must say, you look rather dashing!" Wendy looked down at her dress shoes. She was still trying to comprehend the situation and was failing miserably. Her mother in law wrapped her arms around that of her mate. "Come on! It's time to cut the cake!"

The odd scenario left Wendy standing in bewilderment. Had she missed some sort of reconciliation or was this just another shady trick? As Wendy took a step to follow, she was was suddenly transported at blazing speeds through the crowd occupying the ballroom, zipping to and fro until she came to a halt in front of a blank-faced girl. The child -- no, grade schooler -- she recognized to be her daughter looked up at her without so much as a change in expression. It felt like she was gazing into the back of her skull with those midwinter eyes of hers. They were the grey of the last ashes on a fire, tossed up with the breeze; the grey of a pigeon's wing and the grey of the ocean an instant before dawn's first rays strike the water. But her eyes also foretold the earnesty their little girl carried. They were the shine found on a beetle's wing, deep and lustrous darkness, like an undiscovered forest pond beneath the shade of ancient oaks. Seeing her now, hardly over the age of nine, sent her sire's emotions up in a flurry. Wendy would do anything for those eyes. Even if it meant sacrificing all that she knew and loved. 

Hyunhui steadily approached and appeared to be reaching out to place something in her hands, but before she could make out what it was, Wendy was quickly carried off by the same force that took hold of her moments ago. She wanted to gripe and plea to go back, but by now Hyunhui was too far out of sight. For a while, all she could see were lights and figures flashing by. Confused, but also intrigued, Wendy glanced around until her eyes began to focus on a figure standing at the end of the tunnel.

Her time warp slowed to a stand-still. It had left her stumbling at the center of the ballroom with the figure in question only a few steps away. The woman was dressed in white from head to toe -- a wedding dress, Wendy gathered -- and though it wasn't nearly as glamorous as the ones she had seen in movies, it somehow looked worlds better. The shadowy characters dancing circles around the bride giggled like children in echoes wearing nothing more than broad, unnerving smiles. Upon noticing Wendy's presence, the laughed and scampered off into the blurred nothingness around them. At long last, she was left alone with the bride. 

The woman in white turned and revealed herself to be none other than Wendy's dream girl. Bae Joohyun; the love of her life. She looked younger. Not in age, but in spirit. Almost like all of her worldly worries and burdens had been lifted away leaving her in this state of light-hearted purity. It was a gorgeous sight to see.

Wendy beamed from ear to ear and immediately started jogging over to meet her mate at the center of the ballroom. The raven gave her head a tilt and smiled at her with stars in her eyes, reaching out to accept her wife's hand. There, on her left ring finger. Wendy could see the glimmer of diamonds as sacred and radiant as Joohyun's presence. She tried to hold her, but felt nothing. It was like this form of Irene wasn't made up of anything but cool mist. She held on regardless. 

Crystaline beads of fresh tears gathered in the corners of Wendy's eyes. In her mind, nothing could match the ethereal beauty of her goddess but Joohyun herself. If Joohyun had indeed been a deity sent down from the heavens, then Wendy would gladly dedicate the rest of her life towards being her faithful disciple. 

She cradled her lover's jaw and showered her in a barrage of kisses, worshipping all that she was or ever would be despite her severe lack of flesh. Joohyun's melodic giggle echoed throughout the silent haven of peace encompassing the newlyweds. With a single peck on the cheek, the image of her lover as well as the scenery surrounding them slowly evaporated into a flock of pure white butterflies. Wendy's bright smile faded. She could do nothing but watch them fly off into the emptiness, leaving her behind as nothing more than a memory. 

The floor beneath her feet began to rumble and crack. Then, without a moment's notice, completely gave way. Shattered fragments of white dream material fell with her into a cavernous abyss of darkness. Falling, falling -- endlessly, she would, until-

Wendy's eyes snapped open. However, they weren't quite prepared for the bright beams of sunlight waiting to greet them. She reached behind her head with a weary groan and smothered her face with her pillow, releasing a follow-up sigh through the nose. The silence in the room was filled by the merry twitter of the birds outside and sounds of running water. 

She wanted so badly for that fantasy to have been real. It wasn't often her dream goblins gave her something sweet and pretty to work with. Now that fond illusion would slowly lose its clarity until it was nothing more than a blurred image locked away within the vault of her memory. The least they could have done was end it on a high note.

Her hand felt around the cold and vacant bed space beside her to which she sighed. It seemed her early-morning cuddle wishes wouldn't be granted either. As her senses awakened, she could draw up the conclusion that the shower was running behind the nearby door. Maybe if she hurried she could help save some warm water.

With a strained grunt, she stretched herself out and made a move to sit up. However, she was alarmed by a surprise chill. Evidence had shown that she had forgotten her state of dress -- or lack thereof. The tell-tale wet spot on Irene's heather bedsheets served as a helpful reminder. Wendy smiled greasily to herself and scratched the side of her head before swinging her legs over the bedside.

She reached into her bedside drawer, shifting through a few condoms, packets of gum, cute sticky notes from her mate, and a half-read light novel before finding a velvet box she had strategically hidden beneath it all. She spared a quick glance over her shoulder to check and see if the coast was clear before opening the box to gaze at the precious item nestled safely inside; a beautiful, 3/4 carat, white gold diamond ring.

The light venting in through the nearby window bounced off of the stoic jewel making it glisten and boast its costly glory. It was perfectly catered to Irene's preferences; not too flashy, relatively modest, yet still tasteful nonetheless. At least she had the luxury of knowing Irene would say yes. But keeping things an enigma was always hard for the vocalist -- especially from Irene. The woman had a knack for sniffing out secrets. And, while this may not come as much of a surprise to her once it's revealed, it meant an awful lot to Wendy. Sure, she still had the ring Irene gave her once they were mated -- as a matter of fact, she wore it every day. But as beautiful and sentimental as it may be, it wasn't the same as a token of marriage.

Mating was very much a one-sided ritual. Betas lacked the ability to keep a mark unless it was bestowed unto them by an alpha. Irene would forever wear the contract that tethered her to her mate regardless of the unknowns. Nature had labeled her as an alpha's possession for him to breed and use for homemaking. Nothing more, nothing less. Wendy wanted to marry Irene as a means of showing her that she belonged to her in return. She was really looking forward to having a beautiful ceremony and inviting their loved ones to come celebrate the occasion with them. 

Wendy smiled and snapped the case closed again, tucking it away beneath her belongings where it wouldn't be discovered. Traces of steam began to leak out through the slivers in the doorframe at which Wendy put on a suggestive smirk. Her thoughts became anything less than pure at the prospect of joining her mate in the shower before waking the pups up to start their day.

The room smelled of Irene blended with the soaps and shampoos that complimented her natural scent best. It was common practice for omegas to pay more attention to fragrances when selecting perfumes, detergents, and soaps. The majority of alphas deemed this behavior too feminine for their liking while betas were ignorant to its importance as their scents weren't potent enough to make much of a difference. That said, Wendy had learned quite a lot just from watching Irene go about the ritual while shopping. Apparently it was easy to make the mistake of selecting a formula that wasn't at all flattering when blended with an individual's pheromones. For this reason, Irene was partial to clean, floral fragrances as opposed to those she assumed would clash. As the scent expert of the house, she had taken the liberty of helping her housemates -- namely Joy -- select proper options in that regard. 

However, her own personal decision often included a certain someone else's input. Once upon a time, Wendy had made a passing remark on her liking towards a particular brand of conditioner she had used and ever since, that devilishly delightful scent had greeted her every time she caught a whiff of her mate. She certainly wasn't mad about it... unless she was. In which case, she had a weakened will to resist Irene's apologetic yet sneaky offers for makeup sex. Needless to say, it didn't take her very long to figure out that she had mated a vixen. A flirty, sexy vixen. 

The blend of aromas reminding her of spring flowers after a summer storm filled her lungs and fogged her head with lustful thoughts. All of her engrossment was trained on the silhouette dancing across the thin material of the shower curtain. She took a moment to admire it, biting her lower lip as she sneaked her way into the tub.

It goes without saying that Irene looked absolutely gorgeous at all hours of the day and her morning shower was no exception. Wet strands of raven hair clung to her body as she lathered her arms with soap. She had yet to notice Wendy's presence lingering behind her and the latter was keen on keeping it that way. At least for a little while.

Irene changed angles with her eyes closed to where most of her body was visible from the beta's vantage point. Slender arms came up to wash her hair, unintentionally putting herself on full display before her mate's wandering eyes. Wendy felt her member stir to life at the sight of her wife's plump breasts rising up with her lifted limbs. She took a few steps closer and buried her nose in her wife's neck while wrapping her up in a back hug. The action startled its recipient causing her to jump in place. However, the familiar scent of citrus fruits soothed her racing heart.

"Good morning. You look absolutely beautiful." The honey-like tone in Wendy's voice won over her forgiveness. Irene smiled, leaning back into her mate's naked embrace with a sigh of contempt. "Now scoot over."

A dignified scoff made the beta snicker cheekily as she reached for her own soap. "Excuse me, ma'am, but you're impeding on my shower time!"

"Who, me? I'm just trying to conserve water!" She jested. "It's not my fault you take such long showers! Don't you care about saving the planet's resources!?" When she reached to return her bottle of shampoo, Wendy caught the raven silently mocking her words like a child. The corners of her lips quirked up. A hand made contact with her partner's bare bottom in retaliation.

The tile walls of the bathroom repeated the smack followed by the angelic sounds of Irene's laughter. "What's gotten into you? I thought we got all of that out last night." She mirthfully placed a dollop of soap suds onto Wendy's nose and masked her giggles with her hand as she watched a pair of brown eyes cross to look at it. Hearing her lover's amusement made Wendy chuckle along.

"That's what you get for being cheeky! Besides, I can't help that you're sexy. Is it so wrong of me to be attracted to you?" Her arms returned to their favorite place; wrapped around Irene's slender waist, pulling her closer while she covered the nape of her neck in few sultry kisses. 

The prime hummed softly in compliance and squeezed a quarter's worth of conditioner into her palm. "I suppose not." Wendy's kisses swiftly became hungrier and more sultry in nature; toothy and laden with tongue. She wasn't being too discreet about how she was feeling -- not with her fifth limb nudging Irene's rump like that.

"I had a dream about you."

"Oh?" Came a soft purr that woke Wendy's senses. "What was I doing?"

"It's a secret."

The omega chuckled and made a move to twirl around so she was facing Wendy with her arms around her neck. "If it's a secret, then how am I supposed to tap into your fantasies?"

She thought she was talking about a wet dream. How cute. Wendy smiled inwardly towards herself though her face disguised her giddiness and kissed her mate's wet forehead. "You'll find out soon enough."

Despite her spiel on Irene's lack of water conservation, Wendy was more than happy to stand under the stream of warm water in their embrace. She began to sway slightly back and forth -- an action that made Irene snort, though she said nothing against it. Instead, she used the warmth from the water and that of which was radiating off of her lover's skin to ease the tension in her shoulders. The younger's hands slowly crept their way closer to the small of their woman's back. 

"Hey, babe?"

"Hm?"

"You're naked."

Irene opened her eyes and lifted her head to flash her lover a deadpan look. "Wow. I wasn't aware I'd mated a detective."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Need I remind you of what happened the last time you got handsy in here?" Irene quipped with a knowing arch in her right brow. "I'm surprised you didn't break something."

"I didn't hear a no..."

"Seungwan-ah, you've seen me like this a thousand times. Why is this time any different?" 

"I've seen sunsets a thousand times too, but I still find them beautiful."

The raven's cheeks burned bright red to match the shade of her shoulders under the warm water pouring down from above. A fond but also somewhat cheeky smirk graced Wendy's lips. She looped her arms around her partner's waist and pulled Irene closer into a back hug -- nothing between them but water and the affection they shared.

"Maybe during nap time," Wendy's contempt smile faded as her hands were guided away in favor of Irene ridding herself of any remaining suds. "Right now we need to get the kids up and moving."

In a desperate plea for what she wanted, Wendy's hands came up to massage Irene's sore shoulders. The older woman sighed with gratitude and rolled her head to better appreciate her lover's kind gesture. However, she had yet to catch on to the ulterior motive behind such an action.

"Pleeease?" Came a whine similar to that of a spoiled child which was promptly topped off by a peck to the nape of Irene's neck. "I promise I'll be quick!" Her valiant efforts in buttering her omega mate up fell flat.

Irene allowed her arms to dramatically fall limp at her sides. Wendy could feel the answer mingling with the humidity in the air. She knew that her attempt towards perhaps getting some action before their day truly began had been in vain the moment Irene gazed at her over her shoulder with that pointed look of hers. It was a look she had grown all too familiar with.

"Seungwan-ah..."

Wendy's lips puckered into a pathetic pout laced with frustration of both the sexual and emotional sort. "How come?" She harped on in her bellyaching. "I help you during your heats. Can't you do me a favor just this once?"

"That's different and you know it." The raven murmured, though she still made it a point to crane her neck and land a somewhat apologetic kiss to her mate's cheek. "I promise I'll take care of it later. Okay?"

The words of her compromise rolled around in Wendy's head for a moment. As much as she hated to ask Irene for anything, she had a certain appetite that needed to be sated; an appetite Irene didn't often share with her. This was treading into murky and potentially dangerous waters. Sex, by the very meaning of the word, required the consent and overall enjoyment of both parties. With this in mind, sex brought on by begging wouldn't be sex at all, would it? Figuring it was best not to argue over such matters, the digestion of those words was then followed shortly by a sigh of surrender.

"Fine." Irene responded with a grateful smile and one last kiss to tide her over until they could meet again later under more optimal circumstances. 

Big brown eyes took on a more playful nature, darting between Wendy's eyes and lips while she sensually gnawed on her own. "If you can make it to tonight, we can do whatever you want." All of a sudden, the rainclouds bellowing in Wendy's brain cleared into nonexistence and her ears perked up.

"Wait, whatever I want?"

"Whatever you want." The implications backing the subdued but fiery look in the rabbit's eyes did things to Wendy's already rampant libido. Evil things. She could feel it in the way the mast between her legs stiffened to attention. Irene seemed to take notice and giggled before gracefully stepping her way out of the tub. Meanwhile, Wendy still felt stuck between a rock and a hard place -- or, rather, a pillow and a soft place. Either way, regardless of which she chose, she would still get to play with Irene. She couldn't lose in this situation. Although, while skipping over Irene's naptime offer in favor of making it through to the evening would be quite the challenge, the reward would be much sweeter. There were dozens of things she was eager to try in bed so her best option was to restrain her urges until that night. Wendy was eager to accept.

With her partner standing beside her, diligently tending to her skincare regime, Wendy finished brushing her teeth. She spat into the sink and swished her mouth clean before reaching across the counter space for some nearby floss.

"The real estate lady called."

"Oh yeah? What'd she say?" The platinum blonde inquired while running the mint-flavored string between her teeth.

"We got the house!" Irene whisper-shouted in excitement. "Isn't that great!?" Taken aback by her words, Wendy's guided hand motions wavered. She didn't appear to be nearly as enthusiastic as Irene had hoped she would be. If anything, she looked quite the opposite. Irene's sunny disposition fell under the weight of concern. "What's wrong? You seem upset."

"I'm not."

The older woman gave her a look that demanded an honest response. It wasn't long before those eyes won that fight. Wendy relented with a forlorn sigh. "Okay, fine. I'm upset. Only because I don't think it's right to drop everyone out on the streets without warning! It's unfair!"

"Sweetie, we won't be moving out for another few weeks! They'll have plenty of time to make other arrangements." She assured her while her own gentle touch grazed up and down Wendy's arm in a soothing manner. "Besides, the house isn't too far out of the way. They're free to stop by any time."

"It's not the same."

The eldest sighed, running a had through her damp head of hair in frustration. She understood Wendy's point of view, but that didn't mean she understood her mentality. At first she sympathized with her, but now she was quickly finding herself growing agitated by her mate's refusal to let go of what was in favor of what could be. Her behavior was like that of a stubborn mule; refusing to budge; unwavering. She was finding that her mate was blindly devoted to any cause involving the people she loved, whether it be for better or for worse, and While her sense of loyalty was admirable, it was getting in the way of their progress. Irene worried for her. She didn't want to see Wendy become an obstacle for herself or their future.

"We aren't kids anymore, love. Like it or not, we all have to go our separate ways at some point or another. Surely you know that." Wendy's eyes fell with the weight of both acknowledgement and sorrow. "They have the right to explore the world for themselves. We're limiting each other by sticking so close."

"But they're our family too, Hyun." The younger girl murmured. "But with that... will we ever see them again?" A lush bottom lip was snared beneath a row of pearly whites.

"Think of it this way. An outdoor cat, when it's released, takes off as fast as it can and may not be seen for weeks. But, once it's seen all that there is to be seen, it'll return." Wendy looked from Irene's thumbs massaging the palm of her hand up to meet her eyes. "We can't keep an outdoor cat from exploring in the same way we can't keep a human from charting their own course. It's time we give them the opportunity." While Irene returned to what she was doing, Wendy opened and closed her hand in thought.

"What about you, unnie? Don't you have aspirations too?" Her words froze Irene like Medusa to a wandering maiden. It was an inquiry she was not quite prepared for. As the words registered deep within her skull, she looked herself dead in the eye through the surface of the mirror. 

"No." She finally declared, spinning the cap back onto her moisturizer. Somehow that statement didn't seem all that convincing to Wendy.

"Oh come on, there has to be something you wanna do. Somewhere you wanna go."

"My years of youth and adventure are over, Seungwan-ah. Have you forgotten? I'll be thirty-three next spring. I don't have the time nor the means to relive my twenties." The raven muttered with hints of remorse weighing heavily on her tongue. "Besides, I have to look after the kids."

There grew a sad, tender-hearted look in Wendy's eyes. "You don't have to give up on your dreams just because you're a mom, unnie." When Irene refused to meet her gaze, she took matters into her own hands and lifted her chin. "Hey. You mated a beta, remember? The last thing I'd ever want to do is control you. If you want more pups, great. If you'd rather go to school, that's fine too. Do whatever piques your interest and I'll back you up all the way. Capiche?" The bunny gnawed on her lower lip and nodded, pushing Wendy's hand away from her face. Though she was somewhat affected by the action, Wendy overlooked it and flashed Irene a tight-lipped smile. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy." The bite behind those words spoke more for irritability than contempt. It caught Wendy by surprise. She was so relaxed and chipper moments ago. What had happened between then and now to change that? 

As Irene forcefully rattled her things around on the countertop, Wendy observed her face through the mirror. Her brows were furrowed in frustration, lips pressed in a tight line as if they were holding back a hurricane of thoughts and emotions. Wendy could see that she was wading in choppy waters. Swallowing her guilt, she rested a hand on the raven's shoulder.

"What's wrong? Are you mad at me, or...?" Her gaze flickered for a moment, but it soon returned to her self-assigned task of packing her things away to be stored beneath the sink. Her lower lip quivered for a moment before it was swiftly caught by its upper companion, her lashes fluttering to blink away any unwanted tears. "What's the matter?" Irene just shook her head and not-so-subtly waved a hand in front of her face to slow the spread of redness. She couldn't trust herself to speak; not with the threat of a croak lurking in her throat.

Caring eyes watched for a while, seeking any further hints in regards to her mate's condition but finding none. Without so much as a warning, she lifted Irene up and placed her on the counter top and parked herself between her thighs. Soft hands brushed away fallen strands of dark locks to get a better view of Irene's reddened face. "Talk to me, Hyunnie. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's just..." She reached up to dry her eyes, but Wendy was faster. "Forget it. It's petty."

"Care to elaborate on that?" Wendy inquired while wiping the tears she had collected on the back of her hand onto a nearby rag.

"I envy you." She confessed. "I'm excited for the new house and a change of scenery, but..." The younger girl stood patiently waiting for the continuation of that statement, but one never came. She softly encouraged her to continue, rubbing her arm for a bit of reassurance. "I want to set goals too. Something I can work towards. When I see you five planning things or picking up jobs..." She looked down at the edge of the countertop in shame. "I don't know. I guess I get a little jealous."

Wendy mulled over this new piece of insight like a cow chews cud. As the pieces fell into place, the image of what her mate was trying to say became more clear. "You feel stuck." From behind her curtain of hair, Irene nodded.

It made sense. From the moment she fell pregnant onward, Irene had spent an unhealthy amount of her time indoors -- whether it be to nest, avoid recognition, hide her shape, or tend to her pups. Granted, she had always been the most domestic of the bunch, but never to the extent of becoming a borderline recluse. Nowadays it seemed she only left the house to run errands; grocery shopping, bank runs, and the like. The move would be a change of scenery for her -- even if just for a little while until the dust would inevitably settle again. 

"Well... Then you can go back to work if you want." Wendy suggested with a smile. "The restaurant can wait a little while longer."

"I can't."

Wendy's expression morphed into a concerned pout. "Why not?"

"No one will hire me."

And she was right. The odds were severely stacked against Irene in pursuing a shiny new career. Regardless of her determination to make something of herself, most businesses would turn her down on behalf of her being an omega. Especially a prime.

Years ago, back when she was still young and wet behind the ears, perhaps Irene would have been more interested in proving her worth. But this was the present. As she grew older, Irene was beginning to accept the role society had given her. She trusted Wendy to be the breadwinner and support their family financially, though that didn't make things any less complicated for her. There was something unsettling about conforming to the stigma people of her kind were fighting so hard to eradicate. Still, she kept quiet about it. She didn't want to be a bother or make a mountain out of a mole hill. After all, she held it in for this long. Maybe she truly was better off staying inside where nothing could touch her.

"Then I'll hire you. We can work at the restaurant together. It'll be the family business."

"But the restaurant is your dream."

Irene's concerns were checkmate by a dashing grin. "My dreams only get better with you in them." The raven ducked her head to hide the blush that came with the kiss to her cheek. It accentuated the hand that had reached out to hold hers, the thumb of it rolling soothing circles over the thin skin there. "I just don't want you to feel lonely or sad staying in the house all the time. That's all."

The woman still perched on the counter tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear and exhaled softly through her nose. In all honesty, being Wendy's housewife didn't sound so bad. Dare she say it maybe even suited her. At least then her love of laundry and homebody nature would be of good use.

She sighed scornfully towards herself and looked down at her feet, tussling her hair out of frustration. "Sorry. I told you it was stupid."

"It's not stupid. I may not be able to relate with you on certain things, but I want to at least try to understand, if you'll help me." Irene smiled and nodded which seemed to be a suitable answer for Wendy. The former met the latter's lips in a brief peck before she tentatively hopped down from her place on the counter. Her partner supervised, holding her hand for a little extra guidance, though her eyes remained focused on the white scar marking Irene's lower belly when her tee shirt rode up. While the wound was fully mended, it remained a sore spot for Wendy. It hurt her heart to see it; both in the sweet and sour sense. It served as a reminder of all they had been through together over the past year and a half. Some moments, it reminded her of Hyunhui and made her smile. Others, it reopened her wounds of letting Irene down that rainy autumn night. It was never a scar nor an imperfection meant to fade away and be forgotten. It was a bittersweet memorial of their family's history. 

It made Wendy think more about what constitutes a family. At the end of the day, if it came down to it, she would always choose Irene and her pups. But in her mind and in her heart, Seulgi, Joy, Yeri and now Haeun were also members of their little tribe. She didn't want to leave a man behind, but she knew that what Irene had said was true. Keeping them around like some sort of a security blanket would be selfish -- maybe even cruel. They were human beings with the right to spend the rest of their years going wherever the wind should take them. They deserved at least that much.

"How are we going to tell them?"

Big, brown eyes followed Wendy's line of sight to her abdomen. Upon coming to the realization, she promptly readjusted the hem of her shirt and cleared her throat. "I don't know." She spoke softly so as to not be overheard. "But I do know that the longer we put this off, the harder it'll be."

"But does it have to be tomorrow? Why not Thursday? O-or Saturday!"

The prime's features melted into a small, sympathetic half-smile. Those pleading eyes staring up at her almost made her want to bend and waver under her own morality, but enough was enough. They had put this off for too long as it was. They owed it to the others to be as honest and up-front as possible about this new metamorphosis all of their lives were due to undergo.

She pressed a kiss to the younger's cheek -- almost apologetically -- and slipped out of the bathroom without another word. 

Throughout the rest of the day, Wendy was in shambles. The challenge she had been presented with seemed easy enough in theory, but she failed to account for her lack of resiliency. Wendy was horrible at maintaining her determination. How did she expect this to be any different? Even so, she earnestly tried to keep her libido at bay, especially with the pups around, but all she could seem to think about was Irene and her stupidly flawless body. The teaser she had received that morning wasn't much help.

In her efforts to maintain a pure mindset, Wendy busied herself with dish duty while her mate sat at the kitchen table surrounded by three occupied high chairs. The petite blonde turned her head and watched Irene place five goldfish crackers on each pups' tray. At first, things seemed to be going smoothly between the three siblings. That is until Sooyun was the first to finish her snack, as usual.

She eyed her brother's remaining crackers with a jealous pout. Her little brain couldn't yet understand the logic behind what was fair. All she knew was that Rowoon still had snacks and she wanted them. Meanwhile, Hyunhui quietly munched on her own remaining goldfish and turned to look at her sister. Intuitively, she could probably tell that she was up to no good. While her mother's attention was diverted elsewhere, Sooyun took it as her opportunity to strike.

Rowoon's yelps of surprise and fear regained Irene's attention immediately. Her head whirled around. She had suspected the worst, but her concern turned to disappointment almost immediately. The eldest of the trio had leaned across the gap between her chair and Rowoon's, repeatedly slapping his head with her tiny hand.

"Ya!" The raven scolded while quickly grabbing her young daughter's wrist. "No! We don't hit!"

Sooyun's face crinkled up in what would be the start of a fit. Low and behold, loud, tearless wails filled the dining room area. Irene released an exasperated sigh. Amidst the fuss, she turned to Rowoon who was still hurt and dewy-eyed after the whole ordeal. She took pity on him. Careful not to make too big of a big deal out of things, Irene pressed a kiss to the side of her son's head. "There. All better now." He wasn't sure what to make of the situation so he put his faith in his mother's judgement. She didn't seem worried, so why should he be? His pout lifted away and he returned to eating his crackers, happy as a clam. 

"He's so quick to forgive." Wendy laughed with her hands still pruning from the warm sink water. "Add that to the list of Kang traits."

"Yeah," The raven sighed. She licked her thumb to wipe away a few crumbs from her crying baby's cheek. "I just don't know where she gets her scrappiness from." Wendy quirked a brow and chuckled.

"Babe? You might wanna do a double take on that one."

Irene turned to her with a stern look in her eye as though she was challenging her to rethink such an accusation. "You think I'm scrappy?" Wendy knew a warning shot when she saw one. She quickly took the time to backpedal and restate her claim. 

"Okay, maybe scrappy wasn't the right word. But you and Sooyoung-ah can both be a little...you know, tough sometimes."

"Tough."

"Yeah. Like how you slap us when you laugh or we try to tease you. It's not a bad thing." Though she didn't appear to be thoroughly sold on that revision, Irene relented with a devilish smirk and a quirk in her brow. 

"I'll show you tough." The buildup of saliva in Wendy's mouth went down heavy. Wondering if her ears had deceived her, she pleaded for a second rendition. 

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Oh, nothing." She teased in a soft, sigh-like murmur. "Just thinking out loud."

As nightfall came upon the house, Irene made her final rounds checking to make sure everything was in order. Much to her relief, her standards of cleanliness were met save for a few unwashed dishes left in the sink. Satisfied with the state of her surroundings, Irene plopped down at the kitchen table with a sigh. It was the first time since naptime that she got to just be for a while. No chores, no troubles, no meals to prepare, no crying babies, no spats to break up. Just sitting there recalling the events of the day made Irene wonder how she'd managed to make it through unscathed.

She let her head fall back on a breath of exhaustion, closing her eyes for what was essentially nothing more than a prolonged blink. The only light still on was suspended over the table, showing the fine specks of dust that had collected beneath its glow. Only the hushed chirps of the crickets and tree frogs outside provided any disturbance to the otherwise blank canvas of sound. Their symphony didn't disturb her state of bliss, however. She enjoyed the quiet in each of its many forms. Especially after a day like today; hectic to say the least. Then again, most days tended to be the same more or less. Some things, despite how far off the beaten path one might wander, never truly change. 

At the hollow chime of the old grandfather clock standing in the living room, Irene craned her neck to read its face. With the knowledge that the antique lived five minutes back in time, it was safe to conclude that the hour was hardly anywhere passed midnight though despite the aches in her head and limbs, she looked forward to granting her lovers' wishes that night. A mischievous smile overcame her features, a burst of newfound energy surging through her veins. 

Like the fairy godmother, she appeared in the doorway of her own bedroom and waited for Wendy to lift her head away from her computer screen and acknowledge her presence. However, that moment never came. Rather than taking Wendy's lack of awareness to heart, Irene saw this as a golden opportunity to tease the everloving hell out of her.

She took advantage of the view on her way over, one sauntering step after another. Her mate was so focused on whatever she was doing that she still failed to notice her even while standing only a few feet away from the desk. She took her sweet time straddling the younger's lap and looped her arms around her neck with a sigh of contempt. Her presence had understandably caught Wendy by surprise, but she was soon welcomed into her personal space with open arms. Irene hummed merrily into her lover's lips before separating with a wet smooch and laying her head to rest on Wendy's shoulder. 

"Whatcha doin?" She murmured against the column of Wendy's throat, sending shivers up her spine. 

"Nothing important." Wendy reached forwards to close her laptop and rested her hands firmly on the swell of Irene's hips. "How are you feeling?" The raven gasped a breath of excitement at the feeling of her mate's teeth grazing the mark on her neck. 

"I think you and I both know the answer to that question." She felt warm puffs of air tickle her skin as Wendy's work moved down to her shoulders and collar bones. A soft keen left her lips while nimble fingers worked to undo the first three buttons on her shirt. Her choice in wardrobe was by no means a coincidence. She knew what her lover liked and had made it a point to find the exact same shirt Wendy had warn during their ritual. She rocked her hips over Wendy's lap with a sigh and pulled all of her hair to lay over one shoulder. Her pheromones took to the air and formed an invisible cloud of temptation, filling the beta's lungs making her spry with lust. The stiff tent forming in Wendy's sweatpants was surely a sign of her appreciation. 

"You smell like me, but better."

The prime released a melodic laugh. "Well, you are the one who claimed me. Remember?"

"Hm, how bold of you to assume I could forget the second best day of my life." Her words seemed to have struck a chord with Irene. The woman halted her attack on Wendy's senses, pulling away from the crook of her neck wearing an adorable pout laden with jealousy. 

"Only the second?"

She couldn't help herself. It would be a sin for Wendy not to have giggled at the endearing puppy dog eyes peering down at her. A hand eased its way underneath the back of Irene's shirt, rubbing circles of reassurance over warm, smooth skin. "Seeing Hyunhui safe and sound was the first."

That confession certainly eased Irene's conscience. Like winding a clock, her frown swiftly turned upside down. As an omega, she loved nothing more than making her mate happy and knowing that their little girl had played such a significant role in that made her heart soar. Jumping at the opportunity to ride this new wave of serotonin, she pulled Wendy in for an aggressive yet tender kiss. A sound of surprise got caught in the latter's throat, but the passion behind her lover's actions kicked things back into high gear. 

Their pace went from leisurely to sensual in a heartbeat. Wendy's greedy hands groped and smacked the raven's behind making her moan against her tongue. Such lewd sounds made her smirk into the kiss. She opened her jaw, allowing her tongue to play with Irene's some more while her ever so sneaky hands slid up and gripped her lady's hips to focus their grinding motions where she needed them most. Soft, airy moans escaped Irene's lungs in short breaths. Nimble fingers hardly managed to unfasten the first button on her partner's shirt before Wendy grew too impatient.

A gasp of surprise accompanied the sounds of buttons snapping free, some of which had immediately scattering across the floor. Overcome by her eagerness, Wendy had torn the damned thing opened. It was just as she suspected. Beneath the white dress shirt was a prize; the lacy black bra that never failed to get her in the mood sitting like a crown over spotless plains of skin. The garment heaved with the hills they contained. Irene looked down at her, panting with eyes so black and dilated they could be mistaken for a crow's. 

"Goddamn, you're hot." Before Irene could blush, barely even crack a smile, her mate's lips were on hers. The beta was practically in paradise. It reminded her of the wonderful evening they spent making out in the pool, bathed in nothing but water and moonlight. A muffled groan of frustration made the raven giggle. Wendy was struggling to choose between running her hands and tongue all over her mate's perfect body or undressing herself first.

For fuck's sake, Seungwan! Why are you so horny!?

Sensing her mate's inner turmoil, Irene got up to help her out of her pants. However, in doing so, she had exposed the small puddle of slick that had seeped through the thin material of her panties. She blushed when she saw it, but the aroused look in Wendy's eyes made her feel somewhat less embarrassed. Quickly, before it could cool, the beta gathered what she could of her omegan lover's juices and looked up at her expectantly. Irene seemed perplexed by her actions, but followed through with discarding Wendy's black sweatpants. Once they were long forgotten behind the desk chair, she raised a brow that asked for an explanation; one that came in the form of Wendy dipping her slick-soaked hand beneath the waistband of her briefs. Lewd noises and a sigh of contempt clued her in on what she was doing. 

"Uh, babe?"

"Mmm." Wendy hummed as her hand continued coating her length in a layer of Irene's essence. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay? You seem really worked up..."

"I've been hot and bothered since I woke up this morning. It's just one of those days." Irene quirked her lips and glanced down in thought. She felt guilty for denying Wendy her services earlier. She of all people knew what it was like to be too horny to function and while heats or ruts weren't an issue with betas, it didn't mean Wendy wouldn't have needs too. 

"Then let me take care of you." 

Bright, curious eyes followed her down until only her head was visible from underneath the desk. She shot Wendy a wink, urging her to open her knees before fishing her weapon out of her briefs. While Irene had never once found herself fantasizing or aroused by the aesthetics of an alpha's cock, Wendy's was quite the exception. As a beta -- an intersex beta at that -- her equipment was far less intimidating than some of the packages she'd seen. Though this may have come off as a sore topic should Irene let it slip, her mate's more humble size was a source of relief in her eyes. As wonderful as the group's alpha line was with her, nothing could have saved her from the aches and pains that came with going to bed with someone who had a little too much to work with. It's no wonder she had gotten pregnant. Perhaps her poor cervix was simply too tired from the abuse.

Wendy's length twitched with excitement as Irene reached down between her legs to retrieve some of her own natural lubricant. She took a moment to look at her appendage and smiled, running with the opportunity to boost her lover's confidence. "Hi, big guy. You're looking pretty as usual." She kissed the sensitive head, garnering a hiss through Wendy's teeth before moving right along.

With the help of her own slick, her hand glided up and down her length in long, steady strokes. The pad of her thumb would occasionally glide over the head while she gave the base a gentle squeeze to provide some added stimulation. A sweet whimper of relief caught Irene's ears making her smile with pride.

Meanwhile, a pair of glistening eyes ogled her from above. They had a spectacular view of the woman's chest. The black pushup bra those eyes were so fond of truly worked wonders on Irene's already bountiful breasts. It made them look more plump than usual and Wendy certainly wasn't complaining. She had always been a big fan of her lover's upper goods.

She continued watching as feminine hands worked up and down her member. Hands she used to only imagine in her deepest fantasies. Now those wet dreams that used to make her feel ashamed to look her leader in the eye had become a reality. She was the mate of the very woman she once labeled unobtainable. If her past could see her now; watching the pretty raven work her over, gazing up at her with nothing but love and mischief in her eyes. Wendy was convinced she had never been more hard in her life.

As much as she enjoyed her front row seat, she wanted a backstage pass. Irene's hand motions ceased at Wendy's reached out to touch her own. She shot her a curious look but allowed herself to be gently guided out from her nook. As she was pulled back into Wendy's lap, she made an effort to remove her shirt, but was swiftly shut down. 

"Leave it on." Wendy pleaded with a shy blush. "I-It's a good look on you." A million methods of teasing her came to mind, but Irene neglected them all. She didn't want to embarrass her any further. Instead, she smiled and thanked her with a kiss on the nose.

For a few seconds things fell still. Irene quietly pushed her fingertips through a few of the tears Wendy had left in her shirt. A part of her felt bad about it, but another found the rough action erotic. Unable to withhold her desire any longer, Wendy grabbed the open seams of her lover's shirt and pulled her in for another deep kiss. It was a move that made Irene yelp in surprise but melt just as swiftly as Wendy's warm muscle plundered her mouth for all it was worth.

Taking the few taps to her bottom as her cue, Irene parted from the kiss with a forlorn moan and rose to hover over her lap while Wendy got herself situated. Once everything was in order, Wendy looked up and flashed her a sweet smile. Her hands came to rest idly on her lover's waist. Yet another silent indicator for things to progress. As the raven cautiously sank back down again, the head of her mate's phallus pressed against her entrance and parted her walls like Moses did the Red Sea.

The prime's hollow gasp created goosebumps on her paramour's arms though they received none of the attention they seeked. Her eyes, shimmering with captivation, trained themselves on the way Irene's features turned wanton in nature. Sculpted brows furrowed in concentration, orbs squeezed shut, pearly white teeth clenching but miserably failing to contain a girlish whine. It was a moment in time to be framed and hung within the private sector of Wendy's memory. 

As she watched her length being swallowed centimeter by centimeter, she released a few noises of her own. Had penetration always felt this good or had the past several hours dulled her memory? Irene appeared to be taken aback by the sensation as well, moaning as the rest of Wendy's thick cock filled her entrance. It was a tight fit as usual. Warm, wet walls pulsed around her girth in their efforts to accommodate its size making the beta see stars.

The omega crooned her name with sweet, honey-like adoration coating her tongue. Wendy couldn't bear to keep her composure any longer. Her hands, still holding her lover's hips in a vice grip, eased Irene into a few slow, dragging thrusts that steadily increased in tempo. Her bare skin, though soaked in liquid pleasure, created the perfect amount of friction to satisfy both of them. Irene's mouth hung open on a silent cry as the sounds of their coupling bounced off of the very walls giving them privacy. They should count themselves lucky. Having almost an entire wing of the house to themselves provided a little more room for noise. The only room within ear-shot of Irene's notoriously loud mating calls belonged to none other than Kang Seulgi; the resident snorer and hibernator. So long as they made sure to begin their nightly activities after the bear was asleep, not even the end of the world could wake her up.

Irene rested her head on Wendy's shoulder, panting and whimpering into her neck as their brisk pace continued. The head of her lover's cock stroked her sweet spot in such a way that made her toes curl to accompany the broken and raunchy groan being knocked out of her throat. The beta's hips began to lift off of the desk chair in a desperate attempt for more, but her position began to grow uncomfortable and tiresome to maintain with the pace she had set. 

"I love having you on my lap, but..." Irene wanted to reply, but no words came to mind. Only pathetic whimpers and cries of euphoria.

Before she could even register what was happening, Wendy stood up and all but slammed her down on the desk. Objects of various sizes clattered to the floor; pens, notebooks, Wendy's cell phone, but neither gave a damn. They were too caught up in the pleasure their bodies provided.

Hands got lost in a forest of dark tresses and pulled just hard enough to satisfy Irene's raunchy appetite. The omega wailed in ecstasy as her lover filled her up once more. The pace was rough; just the way she liked it. Needless to say, she was over the moon to have finally found a partner she could trust who was also willing to indulge in her fantasies. At first Wendy was understandably hesitant to partake in such activities. But with time and quite a bit of reassurance, she had grown more comfortable with asserting some sense of dominance in bed. Even something as simple as helping her get undressed usually did the trick though Irene was certainly not one to complain if someday Wendy should decide to play naughty with her.

Dull nails clawed at the backs of Wendy's shoulders leaving red streaks in their wake. Her mate's rugged groans and warm breaths tickled her neck making her even more hot and bothered than before. She knew what she was doing. Those quivering breaths blew over the outer shell of her ear making her squirm and lock her ankles behind Wendy's back. 

"Unnie," The younger whimpered. "I'm sorry, I'm gonna..."

"Go ahead. I'm right behind you."

Wendy grit her teeth and continued to piston roughly in and out of Irene until she finished with a low grumble. Her previous releases always felt good, but this one must have been the mother load. Usually there was a bit of an odd sensation coupled with the pleasure, but this time, that weird little feeling was missing. Molten heat filled Irene to the brim. Some of it spilling free from her lower lips as her own body began to shake with orgasm.

"S-Seungwan-ah-" The pleasure in her system hindered her mute. She clung to Wendy like a life line. Her head felt heavy and fell limply back against the wooden desk with a soft thud. Seeing that her lover was close, Wendy grit her teeth and continued rocking her hips in circular motions; making sure to graze that spot over and over again. Once she reached the peak of euphoria, Irene came with a hoarse cry. Gentle, leisurely thrusts helped her ride out her high until the tension in her muscles finally ceased leaving her trembling and mewling through the aftershocks.

And then there was silence. With all of the thumping, moaning, and lewd variations of noise from before having gone dormant for the time being, the creatures of the night were free to resume their performance. In the meantime, the duo collectively climbed down from their peaks.

"You okay?" Wendy panted, brushing strands of sweat-soaked hair away from her lover's face. Still incapable of forming a coherent sentence, Irene nodded in reply. The former managed to whistle in astonishment through her own labored breaths. "Wow. That was...something." She looked down at the vision that was her mate; breathless, flushed, sweaty, and overall rocking the "freshly fucked" look. Still, Wendy felt she could do better. "Ready to go again?"

"Yeah," The raven airily chuckled. "Just gimme a moment."

Lips reddened and swollen from kissing quirked into a disheartened frown. "We don't have to do any more if you're too tired."

"No, no, I'm not," She insisted, heaving her upper body off of the desktop with only the support of quivering arms. "Just made me weak, that's all."

"Good. 'Cus I want to thoroughly fuck you after all the teasing you did today." A whiny keen accompanied the lips peppering kisses to her neck and jawline. In this way, Wendy tentatively helped her regain her barrings while also keeping her excited.

"What are you gonna do to me?"

"Well, there's one fantasy I'm still saving for the new house." Irene hummed her approval, knowing full well which vagary she was referring to. "But tonight I'd like to try something new with you, if you'll let me." 

"Mm, do tell." The eldest of the two purred while settling on the bed alongside her lover. 

"You have a kink for helplessness."

"Right."

"And an obsession with my butt."

"I wouldn't say it's an obsession, but sure."

"In any case," Wendy persisted. "I'd like to give anal a try. Both ways, if you want."

"Oh." The raven blinked. "You mean me topping you?"

Wendy nodded, her eyes quickly glancing up and down her partner's nudity. "But first, I'd like to further explore your claustrophilia." 

"My wha-?" Her question was cut off by her own gasp at the feeling of her frail wrists being taken and pinned against the mattress with Wendy's weight pressing down on her from above. The longer she feigned resistance, the more aroused she became. Her beta lover simply watched with the sweetest smile that certainly didn't match the circumstances.

"You like this, right? This is what you wanted me to do the first night we slept together?" The woman laying with her eyes squeezed shut whimpered and nodded. A triumphant grin overcame Wendy's features as she dipped her head to place wet kisses along the side of her partner's neck where her mating mark resided. "I'm sorry I didn't partake in your fetish sooner," She breathed between kisses. "But I think I get it now. If you want, we could-"

"Baby, I love you, but please stop talking and fuck me." Wendy laughed her apologies.

Without further ado, she held her legs from beneath the knee and pulled her closer; an action that received a very positive response. In her hunger for her lover's pleasure, Wendy lifted her up and away from the bed just long enough for her to forcefully discard her shirt, tearing it even further in the process. Irene was smitten. She clung to her mate's slippery shoulders, panting and whimpering with delight. 

"You're not gonna go feral on me, are you?" Her teasing remark was met with a thorough shake of the head.

As their one free night of passion continued, things quickly took a sharp turn into uncharted waters. 

Wendy swallowed; eyes dancing around her mate's body before honing in on the silicone appendage standing stiff and proud between her legs. It was the same toy she had previously used to give Irene her third and fourth orgasms of the night. Having been unsure of where they had misplaced the lubricant, the duo figured Irene made plenty of her own. Or at least enough to share. And if Wendy was as keen on trying anal as she claimed to be, then they would surely need a lot of it.

Seeing where her lover's thoughts were fixated, the bunny spared a quick glance down at her fake equipment with a knowing smirk. "Ya know, maybe being on this side of things won't be so bad." The beta moaned as Irene's lips and tongue caressed her neck; a womanly hand trailing down from her jaw to rest on her collarbone.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" The younger inquired worriedly. "I mean...this is completely going against your nature, an-" Any further arguments that may have followed were ceased by a single finger pressed against her lips along with a strict hush of dismissal. 

"I know I'm at the bottom of the food chain, love. And while I may not like it outside of the bedroom, I certainly love it in here. But, I suppose if you want unnie's help, I can show you how it feels just this once."

Wendy was a bit surprised when Irene roughly shoved her upper body down flat against the mattress and held her there. It was nerve-wracking; being unable to see what her partner was doing behind her, but there was a sense of suspense that made the whole experience more exciting. She sighed her appreciation towards the hand rubbing soothing circles over her upper back.

"Just relax. I promise I'll take care of you."

"I know you will." Irene chuckled hotly and kissed the backs of Wendy's shoulders. The latter suddenly gasped and groaned -- even startling her handler for a moment -- when a small hand wrapped around her girth and began rubbing it with leisurely strokes.

"U-unnie!" Wendy yelped as the hand on her cock slowly but surely began to move faster. She could feel a quick jolt of panic shock her nerves as the head of the decoy nudged her hole, but the attention her own length was receiving served as the perfect distraction. At first there was only pain; a sharp sting that almost made her want to pull the plug on the whole operation. However, the longer she persevered, the more pleasant the sensation became.

The knowledge that this particular toy had recently been inside of her mate and was still coated in her warm slick made for quite the erotic experience for her. Thinking back on their history together made her realize something. The object filling her now was her mate's personal companion throughout those sleepless nights where she had forgotten to take her suppressants. Wendy had overheard a few of her rough sessions long before they were ever an item or even close enough to be called friends. She appreciated how gentle Irene was being with her and was about to turn around and thank her when the phallus nudged a foreign spot she never knew existed. Her mouth opened only to release a sigh of perplexed arousal. 

"Feel good?" The beta moaned her approval. It felt odd. Maybe even a bit scary if she hadn't been familiar with the person doing it, but by no means was it terrible. She had never taken anything inside of her before and while it really wasn't something she would want to do again, it helped put everything into perspective for her.

Though her slow, steady thrusts never wavered, Irene rested her weary head on Wendy's back and sighed. "You've been such a good girl today, Wannie."

The drowsiness behind such words piqued Wendy's curiosity. Feeding into her own inquisitive nature, she craned her neck to peer over her own shoulder and, sure enough, her eyes were greeted by a silent yawn. She giggled and subtly shivered with pleasure. "We can stop if you're getting too sleepy."

"Huh?" The raven murmured before quickly snapping out of her haze. "Oh! No, I'm fine." She tried to make her argument more convincing through a display of her efforts. Without missing a beat, she lifted her head and grabbed Wendy by the hips once more. She gnawed on her lower lip and furrowed her brows in concentration, trying to recalibrate her technique -- or lack thereof. Granted, she wasn't bred to be a top, but at least she willing to give it her best shot and for that Wendy was grateful.

Unsure of what more to do, the omega daintily rolled her hips the way she knew always felt good for her. Apparently she had done something right judging by the way Wendy responded to her actions. It was just the confidence booster she needed after spending the past several minutes internally criticizing herself over how weak and awkward she felt. 

Sensing the slight change in her partner's mood, Wendy watched her work for a moment and smiled. Try as she might, the poor thing just couldn't make her thrusts look natural. As an omega, Irene lacked the charisma and gusto it took to be assertive in bed. Rather, her movements were elegant and fluid; the way her body was designed to be. If Wendy knew her partner as well as she thought she did, then there was no denying that Irene was probably giving herself a hard time over her shortcomings. After all, she was notoriously competitive. Anything less than perfection wouldn't do. This was the standard that had followed her up from childhood and would continue to pester her forever after. With this in mind, Wendy jumped at the opportunity to praise her mate on a job well done.

"How do you make it look so sexy? I always feel like an ogre when I do it." Irene throatily chuckled under the weight of exertion; a sound that turned Wendy on more than she would like to admit. 

"Well I think it's way sexier when you do it." Wendy blushed at the compliment. Meanwhile, the omega continued rocking her hips in the way that best stimulated Wendy's prostate with a hand on her back. "Oof, I'm getting too old for this." Wendy laughed a little and helped pick up the slack by pushing herself back against the harness. "How close are you?" She panted.

Wendy closed her eyes and jerked slightly as the head of the toy nudged her prostate. "Really close. Just a little more..."

Feeling guilty for not performing up to the standards she had originally set for herself, Irene was determined to make it up to Wendy. She put what little energy she had left to good use; folding herself over Wendy's back and driving her hips forwards as best she could. The exhaustion from the day hadn't done her any favors. Neither did the four orgasms she had previously been given. At this hour, her body and mind both agreed it was time to call it a day, however, she felt that she owed Wendy this and so much more.

She panted with exertion, leaning forward to kiss the nape of the younger's neck. Her free hand snaked around Wendy's hips and took hold of her mast, giving it a gentle rub. By now Wendy was a whimpering, moaning mess teetering on the verge of completion. Irene could feel the base of her fake cock swelling and, as much as she hated to, quickly removed the toy from her partner's hole before it could lock in. A few sounds of protest exited the beta's lips that were soothed by an apologetic kiss. However, the hand on Wendy's cock never stilled.

Her jaw fell slack, but no sound came out as warm come spilled into Irene's waiting hand in her efforts to save what she could of the bed spread. Gentle words of affirmation coaxed her through the aftermath until she collapsed against the mattress. 

"Wh-why did you take it out?" She wheezed as she slowly rolled her way over onto her back.

"This is a knotting dildo. I don't think taking one up the ass would feel so good." Accepting her statement as fact, Wendy let her head fall back on the mattress with a puff of exhaustion. She was absolutely spent in the best way possible. 

"Okay," Wendy murmured, forcing herself to sit up with a fresh new smile on her face. "Your turn." However, her offer wasn't met with the enthusiasm she was expecting. Not even close. Her chipper smile quickly faded into a frown. What's wrong? Did she not have faith in her abilities? Was this just not her cup of tea?

The pretty raven looked down to hide her face and avoid Wendy's eyes while she spoke. "I've only taken something... up there once before." She confessed. "I didn't hate it, but...that plug wasn't nearly as big as you."

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to, unnie. It's really no big deal. I think I'd rather die than make you feel uncomfortable."

"But you've earned it." Her soft comment put an ache in Wendy's heart. 

"I didn't earn the right to your body, unnie. No one can. Don't pretend to be okay with something because you think it'll make me happy. Just being with you is rewarding enough as it is. The rest is just the cherry on top." She said with a wink. However, Irene still carried this look of shame about her; a look Wendy wanted to rid her of as soon as possible. She moved closer and gently rubbed Irene's upper arm as an attempt to provide her some sense of comfort. "What's got you feeling like this all of a sudden?"

"You do so much for me. I wanted to do something for you in return, but..." She cut off her own sentence with a defeated sigh. "I can't do oral, I can't do anal..."

"Stop." The younger demanded in a firm and steady tone while pulling her in for a healing hug. "I do those things because I want to. Not because I expect anything in return. I'm your mate now, after all. It's only natural I'd want to take care of you."

"But what if you get bored of me?" She whimpered in dismay, teetering on the verge of tears. "I'm linked to you now. I'd follow you to the ends of the Earth if I had to."

"Is that what you're worried about?" The beta whispered in disbelief. "You think I'd leave you over something like that?"

Irene still refused to meet her eyes. She was too ashamed. She wanted to feel secure in the fact that Wendy would never walk out on her, but her her heart was plagued by fear and anxiety. She didn't want to be abandoned again. Especially when she loved someone as much as she loved Wendy. A part of her wished she could mark her back; give herself a sense of reassurance. But a deeper part of her knew that there was a lesson to be learned here. 

"I just don't think I could handle losing you."

"You say these things like I wouldn't walk to the ends of the Earth for you too." She murmured through a light-spirited chuckle. "I'd take a bullet for you. A whole army's worth, if that's what it takes." Warm droplets trickled down her back. She could tell Irene was doing her best to contain her heaving chest, though she couldn't hide her subtle sniffles. The emotional state of her partner who had been clinging onto her like she could disappear made Wendy teary-eyed as well. "You mean more to me than anything else in the world, Bae Joohyun. Don't you ever forget that."

Both of their heads whirled around at the disturbance caught by the baby monitor sitting on Irene's nightstand. Squeaky and nasal cries belonging to their tiny daughter produced an arc of green dots. She called out for her Minnie in the voice she used whenever she was scared or in need of a cuddle. The poor thing continued to hiccup and coo for comfort which earned her an indirect look of sympathy from her mother.

She turned to the child's sire with a concerned and tired expression. "Would you mind if she slept in here tonight? I think she had a nightmare."

Wendy smiled with nothing but adoration twinkling in her eyes. "Not at all."

While Irene disappeared into the bathroom to clean herself up before bed, Wendy quietly padded her way down the hall and around the corner into the nursery, being extra careful not to wake the other two pups while she lifted Hyunhui out of her crib. The frightened maknae hid her face in her Minnie's sleep shirt and crooned quietly into her shoulder as she was carried off into her parents' room for the night. 

In the early hours of the morning, Wendy found herself laying wide awake. Even through the veil of darkness still shrouding Irene's private space, she could see that her mate was fast asleep on her own side of the bed with a curled hand passively guarding little Hyunhui who was resting peacefully between them. She watched the mother and child dream with a fond smile. It was moments like these that could never be captured on a camera. Instead, they would have to live on for as long as they could in her psyche which made them all the more sacred to her. 

She gently kissed her daughter's forehead and watched with great caution as she squirmed and took a few short breaths of slight disturbance before settling back down again. Unbeknownst to her, a sense of relief poured over her sire's head. Had she accidentally woken her up, surely Irene wouldn't have been too pleased.

As she continued to watch over her family in their vulnerable states of unconsciousness, Wendy couldn't help but notice that one of Hyunhui's tiny, pajama-covered feet had been peeking out from beneath her blankie and carefully covered it back up again. Satisfied with her work, she released a sigh of contempt through her airways.

In truth, she dreaded the conversation that awaited them tomorrow; so much so that it had disturbed her slumber. She couldn't deny that they all knew this day would be coming. Still, that didn't make saying goodbye any less difficult. After all, they had spent well over a decade's worth of their most formative years in one anothers' company and she absolutely loathed the idea of any disputes breaking out over this, but for now, she tried her hardest to think only happy thoughts. Who knows? Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad on the other side.

She rolled her head across her pillow case and showered her sweetheart's silhouette in her loving gaze. Seeing it reminded her of the diamond ring she had stored away in her nightstand, just waiting for its moment to shine. As excited as she was to call the omega her wife, she only wanted to dazzle her lady love when the time was right. Irene deserved nothing but the best in all things -- including marriage proposals. At the end of the day, come hell or high water, she would always have Irene regardless of their marital status. Still, Wendy wanted to give her the finer things in life; a nice house, good money, a beautiful wedding, more pups, anything her heart desired. 

"Baby?" Came a soft, raspy croak of a whisper.

"Hmm?"

"We didn't use protection, did we?" 


	50. L

_"My family is going to be moving."_ Spoke the pouting pink cartoon mouse on the TV screen.

The only boy of the house whipped his head around, his favorite 'gogo' coated in a fresh layer of drool as he observed the characters in whatever scene had been unfolding. While he may have lacked the ability to comprehend the dialogue at such a young age, Bonobono had become he and his sisters' favorite show to gawk at. It was without question he took a short break from his ensemble of toy cars to gaze up at the colorful animals. However, his short attention span was not catered to for much longer. 

Rowoon had spent most of his evening playing quietly on his lonesome while his sisters spent some quality time with their respective sires. His Mama had kept him occupied for a little while before she had to reluctantly step away and tend to her chores. Needless to say, he was growing quite bored of himself. The 'gogo' in his hand was soon neglected in favor of following the sounds of clanking pots. 

The merry whistles of the woman tending to the kitchen kept the room alive. It was a beautiful twilight; clear skies and golden sunlight making the grass glisten. Seulgi took a second to appreciate it. With her arms supporting another stack of plates, she gazed out the kitchen window with feelings of tranquility loosening her shoulders. Days as beautiful and bright as these always made her feel a more blissful sense of joy.

_Joy..._

With a sigh that told the opposite, she reached up to place the clean dishes in the cupboard when she felt something wrap around her ankle. She spared the weight a curious glance, chuckling at her little bear cub clinging to her leg and reaching down to pick him up. He tried his best to keep a firm hold on the cuff of her jeans, but up he went into his Mama's arms.

Grumpy to be taken away from his favorite tree, the cub growled unhappily. "Ooo, scary boy!" She giggled while carrying him back around the corner where she could keep an eye on him, fixing his fluffy head of hazelnut hair along the way.

"We'll play later, alright?" Before she left, she pulled the hood of his onesie up over his head to give him a pair of adorably fuzzy bear ears and placed a pat to his little noggin before returning to her domestic duties. 

Back in the swing of things, Seulgi resumed the tune she had been whistling while rinsing her pruning hands beneath the stream of hot water. However, as she moved to dry them off, she felt weight on her leg again. Her gaze moved downward and as luck would have it, the pair of eyes she had given her son stared up at her expectantly.

Rowoon sat on her foot, patiently gumming away on her pants leg. As soon as he realized he had won over her attention, he released the cloth and put on the sweetest eye-smile. "Baba!"

Seulgi giggled, "Yes, Baba," The dish cloth was tossed haphazardly into the sink and she bent at the knee to acknowledge her son. "But Baba has things to do, buddy." She ran a hand over the child's covered head at which he crooned happily and held on tighter.

From her seat at the table, Wendy smiled over at the duo before honing her attention back on helping her little daughter hold the toy she had been fiddling with. She sat for a moment and oversaw Hyunhui trying to figure out how her foam cube came apart and was properly fitted back together. While her siblings were more partial to stuffed animals and train sets, it seemed Hyunhui was rather indifferent to them. She got more enjoyment out of the toys that challenged her young brain to work a bit harder than need be. According to her parents, Wendy had very similar preferences as a pup. It was nice to see a bit more of herself in her daughter. 

With giggling Rowoon still hitching a ride on her leg, Seulgi hobbled towards the kitchen table to make conversation. The topic of interest looked at his aunt and grinned as if to say he had joined the alliance of picking on Seulgi. The beta returned his smile. "He's a clingy little guy, isn't he?"

Seulgi sighed and looked down at her pup. "Yeah. I guess it's cute, but I hope he grows out of it soon." Though she could sympathize with her friend's frustrations, Wendy found the habit endearing. The little boy was absolutely obsessed with everything involving his Mama. He would copy her facial expressions, favor the toy cars she used most while playing with him, crawl his way into her room in the evening and whine until she let him curl up with her. Now that she thought about it, it reminded Wendy of the way the group's maknae once looked at Seulgi; a mile-wide smile pushing up her cheeks and stars in her eyes.

Speak of the devil.

A loud, familiar cackle caught the duo's undivided attention. Yeri, giggly as ever, clutched her stomach and kicked her legs, nearly falling from the couch while Haeun maintained her confused and worrisome expression. Before anyone could manage a double take, Haeun yelped her surprise as the younger grabbed her and began tickling her sides. Rows of beautiful white teeth were put on full display in their efforts to contain their master's response, but Haeun inevitably broke.

Much to the initial shock of everyone present, laughter as clear and pure as the song of the wind chimes outside burst forth from Haeun's diaphragm. Yeri watched in amazement with a gawking expression that quickly lifted into a grin.

"I don't think I've ever even seen her smile before, have you?" Seulgi shook her head.

The sweet moment was interrupted by a presence waltzing in from the back rooms. Haeun's melodic laughter immediately died down upon noticing her sister's presence. She hung her head and smoothed any wrinkles in her clothing as she moved to sit up straight again. The girl seated beside her watched her do this before her eyes locked onto a different target; Joy, who had made her own entrance with Sooyun resting her head on her chest. The tall and shapely raven placed her daughter on the floor in front of the TV then slowly returned to her stature while tugging down the bottom of her shirt.

"Alright; family meeting," Irene announced from the kitchen. "You too, Haeun-ah." The girl appeared to be taken aback. She looked to Yeri for a clue only to receive an unknowing shrug in return. Still, the younger could see that she was unsure. With a comforting smile, she took Haeun's hand and led her off into the kitchen where the others had already gathered. 

"So what's up?" Joy inquired before swiftly catching herself. "If this is about the recycling again, I swear it wasn't my week."

"No, it's a bit more serious than that."

Seulgi looked over to Wendy fully expecting to share an unknowing glance. However, much to her surprise and confusion, her friend went quiet and avoided any surrounding eyes by directing her own down at Hyunhui's toy. She looked guilty. But why? Was she in trouble with Irene? Was there something she hadn't told her about? Nonsense! Wendy told her everything...right?

"I don't want to sugar coat this, so I'll cut straight to the point." Irene began. "I think it's time we start looking to move out. The pups are getting older and as lovely as it is, this house isn't big enough for the nine of us. Besides that, Bogum's bound to be wanting his old place back." Several eyes in the room crossed paths, but Yeri's were the exception. The thought of parting ways with the others hadn't come up as a possibility in her mind. Instead she looked eager to move forward into their next chapter together.

"Cool! So where are we going?"

The eldest of the quintet's eyes wavered for a moment before she spoke. "Not we..." She turned to her mate who simply looked up at her with a forlorn expression. It was a silent exchange Seulgi took note of right away. 

"We won't be going with you. . . will we." The raven could only shake her head. 

"No!!" 

"We all knew this was coming, Yerim-ah. Don't deny it." 

"Hold on, I'm not really on-board with this either." Joy declared with her arms folded over her chest and dark brows furrowing into a scowl. "Seulgi unnie and I have just as much of a right to see our kids as you do. What gives you two the nerve to decide for us?"

Wendy rose to her feet and stood beside her mate with their daughter perched quietly on her hip. "Joohyun unnie is the only common denominator here. She's their mother. It would be a sin to separate them."

"And _we're_ their sires!" The alpha objected while pulling Seulgi into her own side. "Wouldn't it be a sin to separate _us_ too!?" 

Much to the tall raven's surprise, her fellow alpha slithered free from her hold. Seulgi tried to remedy the younger's hurt with a hand gently stroking her arm. "Be reasonable, Sooyoung-ah."

"I _am_ being reasonable!" She barked, jerking away with tears of frustration welling in her eyes. She pointed at Sooyun who had been obliviously playing in the living room. "That's my baby!"

"You all have an obligation to the rest of your lives-"

"And so do you! What, do you think you just became useless overnight!?" Her words made their leader's brows furrow crossly. Feeling alone in the debate, Joy looked around at the sullen faces in the room in search of anyone willing to fight in her corner. Realizing no one was going to come forward, she became enraged. 

She turned to Irene with a furious look in her eye, marching forward like a soldier into battle. "You never did like me much, did you, unnie? Only when you had my imprint. . ." Irene swallowed and lifted her chin to accommodate their difference in height the more ground Joy covered. "You just _had_ to get one more over on me, huh? Well guess what; you _do_ have a daughter like me! _My_ daughter! _Our_ daughter!" The omega found herself backed into the kitchen counter with Joy towering over her. Having sensed Wendy's rising agitation, Seulgi quickly reached out to prevent her from instigating things further. The young raven paused her advances, waiting for her leader to respond. However, when no such answer came, Joy grit her teeth and grabbed the older woman by the shoulders. "Say something, you bree-!!"

"Sooyoung-ah, stop! That's enough!!" Seulgi quickly pried the taller alpha off of their leader at which she released a huff of dismissal.

"You omegas are all the same. You know that?" Irene lifted her eyes in challenge. "You can be mad at the world all you want, but that doesn't give you the right to be selfish in your parenting."

For the first time since the discussion began, Irene raised her voice. "Need I remind you of where I stand!?" She shouted. "My glory days are over! Like it or not, your motivations don't lie in being primary caretakers -- especially not on your own!" Joy's brows furrowed as she dug for a rebuttal when the sounds of a crying child severed the tension in the room.

Little Sooyun, startled by all of the commotion, crawled her way around the corner with a face as red as a mid-summer sunset. With a gentle tug to her pant leg, she requested her mother's attention and received it along with a kiss to her rosy cheek. While Sooyun crooned over her shoulder, Irene looked over to the pup's sire wearing a sorry expression standing only a few meters away. 

"I _know_ my place. It's the safest option we have."

The young alpha's hands balled up into fists. She soon became choked up with puddles in her eyes and a frog in her throat. In a nasal and desperate plea, she croaked, "But I want to see her!" 

"We won't be moving far. You guys can stop by any time you like." Wendy piped up, armed with a reassuring smile. "As a matter of fact, it's encouraged." Her words seemed to sooth the worried parent's conscience, but not enough to ease her mind.

"My hope is that you two can take them off our hands every now and then; spend some quality time together." When her humble request garnered no response, Irene tilted her head. "Does that seem fair?"

Seulgi shot Joy a glance and nudged her for an answer. The taller girl rubbed her arm but did her best to avoid the omega's eyes. Though she hated to admit it, these terms did indeed rest well with her troubled heart. "I guess."

Yeri frantically looked around at the older girls in the room. She was appalled by what she had just heard. How could Sooyoung buckle so easily? And why hadn't they included her in the conversation? Did her opinion hold no weight at all? With clenched teeth and balled fists, a few warm streams of emotions trailed down her cheeks in liquid form. Having heard her sniffling, the older quartet turned to her with worry in their eyes.

Much to the eldest's surprise, eyes burning with anger and what she could only describe as borderline hatred stared back at her. "Why do you spring these things on us and expect us to just figure it out!?" The maknae shrieked in a hoarse and broken voice. "We've been friends for _twelve years_ , unnie! Seulgi unnie even more! How could you just decide to split us up without talking to _us_ first!?" Her sad, babbling sobs tore Irene's heart. Yeri had always been a rather emotional child though never to this extent. But she had every right to be upset and for this reason, she held her tongue. 

"You raised me!" Yeri choked. "I can't live without you guys!" 

Irene quietly offered Sooyun over to her other parent and wrapped the sobbing maknae up in a hug, allowing her to cry out her sorrows into her shoulder. The younger clung onto her for dear life, her fingers gripping the back of her wool sweater like she was about to be sentenced to death and this would be the last hug she would ever receive.

"We've been unfair to you. . . _I've_ been unfair to you. I'm sorry." Quaking breaths left Yeri's lungs. The familiar fragrance subtly radiating off of Irene's warm frame left her eyes swimming with an emotion that was far more potent than sadness. She still held onto that little glimmer of hope that Irene would somehow change her mind. 

But it was in vain.

A nimble hand caressed the back of her head while Irene's lips delivered the final blow that concaved any of Yeri's remaining faith; "I hope you can forgive me one last time."

The melodic purr of Irene's voice laced with these parting words were a gust of wind that stirred the anger in Yeri's heart once more. She felt her entire world come crumbling down and all Irene had to show for it was a mediocre apology?

Angry and upset, she shoved the older woman away and Irene could do little but stand and watch her sobbing loved one disappear into the attic. All along she had a sinking feeling that Yeri would be the one to break the hardest. After all, life as a part of a group was all she had ever known. When their careers came to a rather abrupt end, she counted on the others' company to keep herself collected while she pieced her life back together again. And in the end, although it would be frightening for the lot of them, Irene knew that Yeri needed to set off alone in order to complete such a task. Still, it couldn't harden her heart enough to where she would feel no guilt when it came time to face that reality.

Haeun, worried for her friend's emotional state, made a move to follow after her but was surprised to find herself halted by her sister's grip on her arm. She looked into her sister's dark eyes in bewilderment. Finally, after a silence too long for comfort, Irene spoke. "I'm the one who made this mess. Let me be the one to clean it up." The beta tucked her chin and stepped aside. While she made her ascent, the remaining members along with a still rather bitter Joy watched her from the kitchen in silence.

* * *

Yeri hugged one of her plush characters against her chest, rocking back and forth in her seat on the crusty old couch while rivers of warm tears ran down her cheeks. How could she do this to her? After all they had been through together? Did their friendship mean nothing to her?

Through her blurred vision she eyed the framed photo standing on the coffee-stained table before her. It was a photo she and Irene had taken on their summer trip to a mountain stream. She used to look upon it fondly but now it only made the fire in her chest burn stronger.

She quickly reached over and slammed the frame face-down and retreated back into the couch. She didn't want to see that woman's face. In her heart, she wasn't sure whether she was sad or angry. Perhaps it was the perfect blend of both; so perfect it confused her which, in turn, made her even more upset.

The sound of slipper-padded feet marching up the stairs snapped her out of it. She swiftly wiped her nose with the sleeve of her shirt and glared over her shoulder just in time for her unwanted company to reach the top. The figure she recognized to be Irene's stood arms-folded in front of the far wall illuminated by the golden light coming in from the kitchen creating a rather harsh angle. Yeri furrowed her brows and feigned indifference, turning her head back around to face the lifeless TV screen. "What do _you_ want?"

"To talk." 

The rickety floorboards creaked with each step Irene took until the couch sank beside her. However, Yeri stubbornly refused to turn her head or even acknowledge her presence. She had come to her own conclusion that she was more sad than angry, though she feared being referred to as naive if she should emote accordingly. In order to compensate, she made a conscious effort to maintain her scowl and stared straight ahead -- unwavering. 

Despite the darkness in the room, a pair of doe eyes noticed the picture frame lying face-down on the table. Quietly, Irene picked it up and inspected the crack in the glass with her thumb before gently placing it back in a standing position where it belonged.

Irene sighed and hesitantly rested a hand on Yeri's leg. "I'm sorry. Seungwannie and I didn't decide this with the intention of hurting you. But I think we all knew it was time for us to say goodbye." 

The younger glared down at the warm hand touching her leg out of the corner of her eye and harshly smacked it away. Irene flinched, but refrained from making a sound in favor of rubbing the sting away. "I hate you." Came a low and venomous murmur. "I hate the day I ever even met you. You should've done us all a favor and died that day."

That spiteful comment fired arrows deep into the soft tissue of Irene's chest. Out of every mean thing she had ever been told, those words hurt the most. They were laced with a poison that spread throughout her veins and attacked her heart. Irene swallowed her emotions as best she could and stroked the back of her reddened hand to sooth her sorrows. 

"Well. . . I'm sorry you feel that way." 

"You liked it, didn't you? The bet. I figured it was just your stupid obsession with winning, but now. . ." Her features hardened once more. "Why couldn't you just wear your collar and be passive like you were supposed to!? If you had just kept your legs closed, none of this would've happened! We could've still been Red Velvet and Seungwan unnie wouldn't be stuck with a fat, ugly, disgusting slut like you! You-- you-- _breeder!_ "

Irene could do nothing but sit quietly in perpetual shock. Yeri's hidden vendetta fed off of this pain like a leech to fresh blood. "She doesn't love you, you know." She murmured coldly. "Sooner or later she'll wake up and realize she made a mistake in mating you. Who could ever love a homewrecker?"

Irene could feel her heart crack in two.

That word; that cruel, awful slur of a word had shredded her up inside. It was a word that had kept her awake at night, wondering if she was worth anything more than someone's property. It was a word that reminded her of what she was always intended to be; a treat for Joy and Seulgi to take their sexual frustrations out on. It was a word that had made her consider selling herself and her tainted innocence into the black market breeding trade. Better to live a life of use to someone, she figured. It was also the word that urged her to swallow a few pills in exchange for her own useless life that day. To leave her mate heartbroken and her newborns motherless. It was a low blow, but Irene didn't have the nerve to deflect it.

"I suppose I earned that." She spoke in a fake and fragile voice that failed to mask the hurt hburied beneath it. The inferno of Yeri's anger wavered for just a moment while her eyes followed Irene's trembling hand as it reached to pull a tissue from the box on the coffee table. "I know I've been unfair to you. And for everything I've done, failing you will always be my deepest regret. I hope someday you can forgive me." As soon as she realized that hiding her tears was a frugal effort on her part, she crumpled the damp tissue in her hands. "I know I don't say it as often as I should, but I hope you know that I do love you. I'm proud to have gotten the chance to watch you grow into the incredible young woman you've become." When her heart-felt words garnered no immediate response, the older woman pursed her lips.

As the couch returned to its natural state of plushness and a loving kiss was pressed to the side of her head, Yeri's defiance wavered yet again. She craned her neck to peer over the back of the couch as Irene made her way towards the stairs with a hand over her chest. Joohyun wasn't the type to shed tears over trivial matters. This one-sided conversation -- more importantly, redeeming the state of their relationship -- had clearly meant a lot to her and with the way thing had gone, she may as well have been speaking to a brick wall. If she left right now, the last intimate words she will have heard Yeri say to her were that she was unworthy of anyone's love and would be better off dead.

Upon making this connection, Yeri immediately shot up off of the couch. "Unnie!!"

Before she could even turn herself all the way around, Irene found herself wrapped up in a hug. Once the initial shock of it passed, she began to cry profusely into Yeri's shirt. 

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Yeri rasped in a panic through teary eyes and a quivering lip. "I didn't mean any of it! Not one word! Seungwan unnie loves you! She loves you so, so much, unnie -- _I_ love you! I'd never want you to die! I just-" The soft sniffles coming from the face buried within the material of her tee shirt brought her distraught ramblings to silence.

What had she done? Even in a fit of anger, she couldn't believe her own words. She had just unleashed a barrage of insecurities and awful thoughts upon Irene, and for what? Because she was resistant to change? Because Irene was just doing what she could for the good of the team? How could she expect sweet nothings to remedy a bruise that deep? 

The younger girl felt the raven's hand drift up to make a fist over her own chest in an effort to ease the throb of heartache. She was hurting. It's times like these where Yeri wished she had pheromones to release; at least ones she could control. Instead she was left to her own devices in mending both hers and Irene's damaged emotions.

Unsure of what more she could say or do for her, Yeri tucked her chin and whispered faint apology after faint apology into her leader's ink-colored hair. "Oh unnie, I'm so sorry."

A rather weepy Irene lifted her chin and rested it on Yeri's shoulder all the while remaining eternally grateful that the tears rolling down her cheeks weren't visible from such a position. "I'm not upset over that, Yerim-ah. . . at least not entirely." She confessed. "I'm more upset that my actions have hurt you for so long. If it wasn't for me-"

"I'd be nothing!" Yeri choked out in a fit of blubbering sobs. "You raised me! I don't know what I'd do without you." Irene's silence made the guilt and regret spread further. "Forgive me for what I said, unnie. I promise I'll never forgive myself."

The older woman gently rubbed her arm to reassure her. "You have every right to be angry, Yerim-ah. I'd be more surprised if you weren't. After all, I've done nothing but inconvenience you over the past year and a half."

"But I called you a. . ." The brunette couldn't bring herself to repeat the word.

"I won't lie and say it didn't sting, but. . ." Yeri pursed her lips and hung her head in shame. Meanwhile, from over her dongsaeng's shoulder, the raven stared at the distant wall and sighed. "Sometimes I question whether or not I was ever worthy of being your mentor."

"Of course you were. You were just doing the best you could. . . you still are."

"My best isn't always good enough, Yerim-ah." The crickets outside occupied the open space looming over their heads. Wrapped up in yet another, smaller tide pool of emotion, Irene rested her cheek on the space between Yeri's neck and shoulder. The latter could feel her leader's warm tears roll over the smooth slope of skin and down her back before dripping onto the floor.

"Well. . . I think I turned out pretty okay thanks to you. You helped make me who I am now and while I may not be perfect, I still want you to be proud of me. I needed you, unnie."

"You didn't need an unnie, you needed a mother."

"But you _are_ my mother."

"No, no I'm not." The prime firmly insisted. "I know you four like to crack jokes and share a laugh, but at the end of the day, I'm not your mother. I'm your unnie and that's all I could ever be." The attic, shrouded in the cloak of night, fell silent save for the occasional wet sniffle.

Mumbles rising from the floor below reached their ears, but there was no clarity to their meaning. Still, the tone of them was heavy with frustration and it made Irene's chest feel tight. She knew there would be more discussions and debates over the placement of the pups throughout the coming weeks -- especially with Sooyoung. She could tell that their previous argument was far from over. As a matter of fact, it had yet to begin. Irene was dreading reopening that can of worms, but it was something that was absolutely vital in establishing an arrangement they could all agree on.

The younger of the duo finally piped up thus putting an end to their verbal stalemate. "Yeah. I guess that's true." She murmured. "I mean. . . I don't think I could deal with the fact that I shared my first kiss with my Eomma." Yeri's hesitant but witty quip managed to lighten the mood ever so slightly. At the very least it cracked a smile onto Irene's chapped lips. Having felt the slight shift in the atmosphere, Yeri quickly ran with it. "I mean, if you were my mom you couldn't have made me the coolest aunt ever. Or taught me how to sciss-" A harsh smack to the arm caught her by surprise.

"Ya!"

The comforting sound of Yeri's cackle warmed Irene's aching heart. Though there was still pain there, it became more tolerable when nestled beneath the soft blanket of a loved one's laughter. She finally worked up the courage to pull away from their hug and expose her tear-stained face before her dongsaeng's view. While the older woman dried her bloodshot eyes, Yeri awkwardly looked down at her shuffling feet with her own bit of guilt stuck to her conscience.

Irene managed a final sniffle and lowered her sleeve-covered hand away from her face at which Yeri lifted her head. Though she was still red and teary-eyed, there was this look of optimism and hope about her. Her voice was hoarse but shy when she spoke to her. "Does this. . . mean you can forgive me?"

The young beta feigned a look of sternness and uncertainty. "That depends. Can Haeun and I come visit you in your fancy mansion?"

The raven snorted. "I wouldn't call it a _mansion_ , but we'd love having you guys around. I'm sure the kids would miss their cool aunt, Yeri." 

"I'll take it." The duo giggled and a sigh of relief vented free from Irene's lungs. She had grown so worried that Yeri's resentment would be permanent. Now that they were well on their way towards being on good terms again, she couldn't help but feel liberated by the heavy burden being lifted off of her shoulders. "Can I sleep with you tonight. . . ? In your nest?" Such a humble request had caught her by surprise. Irene's free hand remained wrapped around Yeri's thin forearm while she tended to her dongsaeng's unruly hair. 

"I suppose. I didn't think you liked me doting on you."

"Can't a girl change her mind?"

A soft chuckle in the base of the omega's chest calmed Yeri down considerably. She never said it, but she appreciated the gentle hand carding through her hair and the little kiss that was planted beside her ear. Irene fastened the sash of her robe around her waist and smiled as she turned to make her way back down to the main floor. "Meet me in the nursery?" The corners of Yeri's lips pulled up as she nodded eagerly.

While the scuffling of Irene's house slippers became more faint, Yeri jogged over to the couch and quickly collected whatever she would need before bed; toothbrush, toothpaste, her retainer case. However, while her focus was trained on the contents within her duffle bag, she couldn't help but notice the broken picture frame standing just within range of her peripheral vision. She checked over her shoulder to ensure Irene was in fact gone before reaching for it and holding it in her lap. She felt sorry for it; for the gash she had left on the face of it. Still, seeing her unnie's smile while enjoying their little getaway together made it all feel better somehow. She hoped they could share more moments like that. Just the two of them.

She turned the frame over and opened the felt backing. Inside was the original photo along with one she had stashed away for safe keeping. She retrieved the dated image, tired and worn from frequent folding. On it were three little shapeless forms all held within the same womb; Irene's womb. It was an item she had smuggled out of the omega's room the day she first moved in. That along with Joy's photo of Irene holding Rowoon and Sooyun the night they were born that she had taken from the fridge. (The others hadn't missed it.)

She remembered the trepidations of that night; how frightening it had been. She could never forget the sounds of her leader's agony nor the feeling of being petrified where she stood. Sometimes she could still feel Irene's trembling hand squeezing her own with whatever strength it had left. However, she would also never forget the first sounds that left little Rowoon and Sooyun's lungs; the wave of relief that washed over Irene's exhausted body the moment she heard them too. Yeri was proud to say that she had been there through it all from start to finish. It was something no one could take away from her -- something she held sacred. Something only she and Irene could share.

With one last look at her hidden treasures, she placed them neatly back in the compartment behind the frame and propped it up on the table it called home before quickly gathering her necessities and making the trip downstairs. 

* * *

The tree frogs outside peeped in harmony with the chirping of friendly crickets; both of which accompanied the shine of a full moon gleaming in through the blinds guarding the nursery windows. It was a beautiful night; tranquil as it was clear and bright. For a while, she laid in the blissful melodies of the night. Tiny breaths belonging to the three pups fast asleep in their cribs brought a slight smile to Yeri's lips.

She lifted her head, careful not to wake the infants' dozing mother, and peered through the gaps in Rowoon's nearby crib. Luckily for him, the tot had not inherited his Mama's awkward sleeping positions. Instead he slept like his mother; still and peaceful, cuddling his stuffed bear from his favorite position on his belly. His little footie-covered foot twitched in his dreams -- a sight Yeri found to be rather endearing.

Having had enough of staring at her unnies' son for one night, she laid her head back down to rest on one of the pillows Irene had provided her. Her eyes fixated themselves on the prime omega's long lashes and spotless skin. Even in slumber the woman was gorgeous. And yet, the effects of the stress she carried had taken a subtle toll on her complection. 

Yeri sighed and adjusted herself to where she felt most comfortable. The warmth radiating off of her leader's body made blankets less of a neccessity, though in spite of this, she grabbed one anyway. Her own mother hadn't been a nester, but something about being surrounded by the others' coziest belongings and someone she loved and admired gave Yeri a strong sense of comfort.

With a sleepy little yawn, she snuggled closer into Irene's chest and listened for the steady thud of livelihood inside. After all of the horrible things she had said to her that day, she was over the moon to hear her eldest unnie's heartbeat against her ear. She felt horrible; horrible for wishing death upon the one person to which she owed most of her success. Even more so for the look on that person's face after those words reached her heart. A part of her she never even knew existed had preyed off of the older woman's deepest insecurities; her weight, her worth, the love of her mate. The heartache in Irene's eyes would forever haunt her dreams like a dark horse roaming the wooded hills of her inner conscience.

Yeri opened her eyes and lifted her chin to admire the sleeping face of her leader. "I'm gonna miss you." She whispered in a voice so hushed it was easily drowned by the creatures of the night. Irene hadn't heard a word of it; too deep in her state of unconsciousness to have cared, but Yeri didn't mind it. Not one bit. She knew how tired she had been, looking after the triplets while probably driving herself mad over how she was going to go about delivering the sour news. It had been a pill just as difficult for her to swallow as it was for everyone else, if not even more so.

Irene was notoriously hard on herself; a fact that came as no surprise to anyone. She blamed herself for everything that brought them up to this point and she would continue to do so long afterwards. The least she could do was show herself a little compassion. Everything she did, she did with the others' best interest at heart and Yeri could never stay mad at her for that. She wanted nothing more than to make her proud. To make something of herself. To let her unnie know that all of her teachings and sacrifices hadn't been in vain.

"Thank you, unnie. . . for everything."

* * *

The door on the back of the rental van slammed shut and locked itself as Wendy wiped her sweaty palms on the material of her jeans. A trio of merry pups giggled and kicked in their car seats, waiting to hit the road as soon as their parents exchanged their goodbyes. In the meantime, Seulgi, Yeri, Haeun, and Joy stood along the curbside wearing a few sullen looks -- none of which had matched those of the others. Seulgi rocked back and forth on her heels, staring down at the concrete as a means of guarding her feelings while Joy flashed Wendy a tight-lipped smile.

"This isn't going to be a repeat of last time, right?" Irene teased as soon as she was through fastening Hyunhui into her car seat. "We agreed there would be no more jumping onto moving vehicles."

"I don't make promises I can't keep." The omega rolled her eyes and reached out to give the taller raven a parting hug; one that was willingly reciprocated. Seulgi watched the exchange from a distance, arms folded defensively across her chest, until she sensed a foreign presence standing in front of her. She turned her head and flashed her own sweet little hint of smile towards her best friend.

"How ya feeling?"

"Fine." The alpha lied, glancing back down at her feet. Wendy could see straight through her veil and while on any other occasion she would have let it go to spare Seulgi's pride, she simply couldn't part ways without a proper goodbye. She opened her arms in her typical swagged-out style as an open invitation. The alpha looked hesitant, glancing around for a moment before inevitably caving and walking straight into Wendy's offer for a hug. 

The smaller of the two women giggled and rubbed Seulgi's back. "Now was that so hard?" A soft sniffle slipped free, riding on the back of Seulgi's valiant attempt at a chuckle. Though she refused to admit it, parting ways with everyone was taking a toll on her otherwise perfectly level emotional state. She had a reputation for being the most constant member of the group and she was proud of that image. However, as the waver in her throat became more pronounced, she supposed she could make an exception just this once.

Wendy's eyes widened while a mumbling, stumbling bear threw herself into her arms bawled over her shoulder. I'm gonna m-miss you!" A couple of heads turned, intrigued by the hollow, deep, wave-like frequency to Seulgi's voice. Wendy couldn't help but let out a little laugh at the state of her friend and rubbed her heaving back in soothing circles as blubbering sobs continued to vent out of her mouth.

"Baba, bye bye!" Rowoon called from his seat in the van, waving his tiny hand cheerfully. "Bye bye, Baba!"

"Bye bye, Woon Woon!" The others found a sense of humor in watching an emotionally wrecked Seulgi stumble over herself on her way over to her little cub.

"The woman's a mess." Joy stated with a shake of the head. "I don't think I've ever seen her cry that hard sober."

"Well, at least she's not bottling it up." Replied Irene through an exasperated sigh. "I just don't want her snot staining the seats."

Wendy looked away from the amusing scene taking place at the van just long enough to check the time. Her eyes boggled a bit as she stuffed her phone back into her rear pocket. She hastily weaved her way behind Yeri and Haeun, much to the duo's initial surprise. "Uh, hold on a sec. I think I left something inside."

Irene found herself left with no choice but to comply with being dragged across the front lawn by the arm. She gazed at her mate in bewilderment, but wherever they were going or whatever she was doing, Wendy looked as though she was on some sort of mission. 

As soon as they reached the front porch, Wendy held her in place by the arms while she peeked over the shrubbery like a meerkat; checking to see if the coast was clear. "Seungwan-ah, what's this about? We have to leave in five min-"

"I know." 

A pair of well-groomed brows furrowed in confusion, watching as her mate fished something out of her back pocket. Her eyes shortly widened even further as a little felt box came into view. "A year and three months ago, we talked about our future here. And while it wasn't the most pleasant conversation we've ever had, it was the first time I ever felt so strongly about someone. It was the second I realized I had to win you back, and . . . and I know we had a bit of a rocky start, but. . ." Irene gave her head a tilt at the nervous and embarrassed look on her lover's reddened face. Wendy cleared her throat and tried to gather her bearings; something the omega found rather adorable in a way she was convinced only Wendy could pull off. "This is also the spot you felt our baby kick for the first time. And I know you don't like making a big scene, so I figured I'd ask you here. . . alone." Big, brown eyes followed Wendy down to the floor as a twinkling diamond ring popped into view. "Bae Joohyun," Wendy began with a shy and awkward snort through the nose. "Will you marry me?"

The woman giggled and crouched down to her lover's level with a big, happy grin spreading across her face. "Like you even had to ask." Wendy smiled into Irene's kiss, eyes falling closed both out of bliss and pure relief. She wasn't sure why she had been so nervous. It's not like Irene had much of an incentive to decline her proposal. Still, she was proud of herself for working up enough courage to ask the woman of her dreams to be her lawfully wedded wife.

When they were finished locking lips, the duo sat on the porch head to head while Wendy slid the ring she had selectively chosen onto her now fiancee's nimble finger. Irene smiled and gave her digits a wiggle, watching the sunbeams twinkle off of the flashy square-cut diamond. "It's beautiful. Just like you." Wendy blushed, giggling profusely as her face was sprinkled in a gentle barrage of butterfly kisses. 

"I wanted to pick a pretty ring for a pretty lady. With a diamond as big and pure as her heart." Irene couldn't help but snicker at such a cheesy remark.

"How long did it take you to come up with that line?"

"Few weeks." The couple shared a laugh and one last peck before helping one another to their feet and making their way back down towards the street hand-in-hand. 

Having heard the grass rustling behind them, Yeri turned around and released a pent-up sigh. "Took you guys long enough!" She breathed. "My parents will be here any minute!"

"Sorry! We got a little hung up."

Having just spent the past few minutes saying goodbye to her own pup, Joy's head popped up over the roof of the van. "'Hung up?' You didn't do anything nasty, did you?" She inquired through her grimace. "We _just_ got everything sanitized!"

"No," Wendy laughed. "I just had to pick up my wife." The four bystanders rebounded a few puzzled glances off of one another. Entertained by their confusion, Wendy beamed with pride and held Irene's left hand up in the air for everyone to see. "I've got a lock, ladies! This one's mine!"

The youngest of the bunch's face lit up like fireworks on New Year's eve. "Hey! Congrats, you guys!" A sudden yelp from her mate startled Irene as well.

"How come you had to be all secretive about it!?" Joy huffed after punching Wendy in the ribs. "I love marriage proposals!"

"I didn't wanna make Hyunnie uncomfortable!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The vertically inclined raven muttered. "You can make it up to me by making me your maid of honor."

"Wait, what!?" Yeri squawked " _I_ wanna be the maid of honor!"

Joy snickered at the younger girl's objection. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you come over here and fight me for it?"

"Ladies! Ladies! There's plenty of me to go around!"

Irene rolled her eyes at the buffoonery around her and parted ways with Wendy's hand in favor of hugging her not-so-little sister goodbye. "You sure you'll be alright living with Yerim-ah?" She felt Haeun nod against her head and with that, she needed no further convincing. She reached up to cradle the younger girl's dainty jaw in her hands. "Call me if you ever need anything. Okay?" 

"Y-yes, unnie."

Next, the prime turned to Yeri with a playful smile, pulling her in for her own hug. Once separated, she ruffled her hair making the group's maknae snicker to herself. "Study hard. And take care of my baby sister, you brat!" 

A light cackle left Yeri's throat as she replied, "I'll try."

Irene lush lips curved up into a proud smile. "I know you will." The taller of the two giggled and tilted her head forward to help the older woman in her struggle to plant a kiss on the crown of her head. Last but not least, the raven turned to a rather sappy-looking Seulgi. "Do you want one too, you big baby?"

The dancer managed to crack a smile and nodded. She met her leader's hug half way, reassured by the friendly kiss to her cheek. "We started this together, you know?" She sniffled. "It's just. . . so hard to believe you guys are actually leaving."

"We'll be around," The omega murmured. "After all, our Woonie needs his Mama too." Her gentle words seemed to ease Seulgi's swimming emotions. The alpha rubbed her fellow prime's back in a display of her gratitude and gave her a little eye-smile as a parting gift. She peered down at her clothes and oversaw Irene's hands fixing the hem of her plaid blazer. Once she was finished making her adjustments, deep pools of milk chocolate peered into elegantly sculpted eyes. "Take care of yourself, Seulgi-ya."

Seulgi's lips half-formed a small but earnest smile. "You too."

Just then, a familiar-looking car pulled up behind the van, honking its horn as a form of greeting. "Well, there's our ride." Yeri declared as a cue for Haeun to gather her things. "See you guys Friday?"

Wendy waved to Yeri's parents before responding. "Yup! Eight o'clock sharp."

"Sweet. Guess we'll catch you ladies on the flip side. Peace!" While the young beta duo loaded their things into the Kims' car, Irene closed the van's sliding doors and slid her own way into the passenger's seat with a deep sigh. Wendy admired her like a peasant to a golden idol as she reached to fasten her seatbelt. Once she was properly situated, Irene released a bellowing breath. Her gaze danced around their old estate worriedly. Like she was second guessing all of her past decisions.

A soft hand overlapping her own on the center console managed to catch the raven's attention. Her eyes met those of her lover, soaking up the familiar and comforting features of Wendy's smiling face like a sponge to water. "Ready to roll?" Irene looked down at their hands clasped together. A part of her wanted to shake her head and waltz herself right back inside, but she knew better. This was a page they needed to turn in order to progress into the next chapter of their lives. The hardest part was taking that first step. Finally, she made peace with herself and nodded, sending a hopeful smile in her mate's direction; one that was easily reciprocated. "Let's go home."

_Home._

Irene _really_ liked the sound of that.

The remaining duo stood waving at the curbside, watching fondly as both the van and the Kims' family car honked their last goodbyes and slowly disappeared over the distant hill. Joy felt a pluck in her heartstrings as the back of Seulgi's hand brushed her own on its way back down to rest. It wasn't anything more than an accident and, quite frankly, she found her own reaction to be quite embarrassing. However, she saw this as an opportunity to shoot her shot one last time.

"So. . ." She began with a sigh. "When do you plan on leaving?"

Seulgi took a seat along the edge of the concrete, gazing up at the clear blue sky as though she hadn't a care left in the world. "After you, I guess."

"Oh. . . okay."

The poor excuse for a conversation fell flat into a painfully uncomfortable spell of silence. Seulgi didn't seem too troubled by it what with her head being -- quite literally -- stuck up in the clouds. Joy, on the ther hand, became oddly self-conscious of her sweaty palms. Unsure of what to do with herself to make it all feel less awkward, she took a seat beside the prime and joined her in gazing up at the white, puffy clouds sailing on the breeze. 

"See that one?" Joy calibrated her eyes to follow where Seulgi had been pointing. "Kind of looks like a chicken, don't you think?" The raven tilted her head and squinted her eyes in her efforts to see for herself what Seulgi's artistic eye had tried bringing to her attention.

"Looks more like a puffy blob of wet air to me." The girl beside her snorted under her breath; a sound that made Joy's chest grow tight with infatuation.

Seulgi let her arms move back into the cool, green grass of Bogum's front lawn. She leaned back on them, using them for support while she tipped her head to stretch her neck. "Well, at least you're honest."

After that, the duo sat quietly once more. However, in this case, it was far more tolerable than before. It was nice; basking in the summer sun, enjoying one another's company. Joy managed to sneak a few side-eyed glances at the person she found most intriguing and blushed in memory of the few nights they had shared which then brought her to _that_ night; the night all of her heart's desires had been so brutally taken from her. Seulgi was all she had ever truly lusted over. The woman was so sweet, so talented, so beautiful and strong. Anyone would be lucky to have her regardless of their gender or dynamic. Still, it didn't exempt Joy from longing to be that one lucky person.

Full lips quirked into an odd half-smile as she spared yet another glance in the charming older girl's direction. "How long before you have to check in?" Seulgi flicked her wrist and pulled her sleeve back to check the face of her watch.

"Mmm, about an hour or so."

Joy pursed her lips and nodded in acknowledgement. Her nails nervously scratched the sloped bit of concrete they were perched on as she worked up the courage to speak her thoughts into reality. She was afraid. What if Seulgi was still perplexed after getting caught that night? What if she thought her advances were creepy or annoying? What if-?

Joy gave her head a shake. This was her last chance to win her over. If she got shot down again, she would just have to grow comfortable with being nothing more than friends. Joy didn't want that, though. She wanted to hold Seulgi's hand and brag about how hot her girlfriend was to anyone who would listen. The thought of it brought a tiny smile to her lips that was quickly hidden behind a curtain of long, midnight hair.

Subtle motion against her side snared Seulgi's attention. Had Joy always been that close to her? Was she cold? How could she be? It's the middle of July! Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced down at the pinky finger fidgeting beside her own beige-colored hand. She felt a certain throbbing in her chest and looked straight ahead while her slow little brain tried to process what that feeling was.

Before she could come to any sort of conclusion herself, Joy's head came to rest on her broad shoulder. She spared her an obvious glance in response to the abruptness of it all. The foreign feeling in her chest grew more pronounced the longer Joy's head remained within ear-shot of her racing heartbeat. 

"Would you. . . maybe, wanna go get lunch with me?"

As a warm breeze blew by, the slender dancer took a deep breath in through the nose and released it with a sigh singing of refreshment. Together, with Joy's head resting on Seulgi's shoulder, the duo continued to watch the clouds drift by in seas of sea foam blue.

Suddenly, the younger went frozen with surprise at the feeling of a warm hand gently resting over her own. She craned her neck to get a better view of the prime's face; elegant and unreadable as ever like a blank canvas awaiting its chosen artist. Joy's heart skipped a beat or two as her curb companion's head tilted ever so slightly to rest itself on top of her own. Seulgi continued to gaze up at the sky with a little hint of a smile on her pouty lips.

"Sounds _wonderful_."


End file.
